


Sunset Ghost

by Silver_Hyacinth



Series: Sunset Ghost [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, Eventual Romance, Ghost Hinata Shouyou, Ghosts, Humor, I Made Myself Cry, M/M, Minor Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Minor Violence, Psychic Abilities, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:33:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 61,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14042331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Hyacinth/pseuds/Silver_Hyacinth
Summary: When Kageyama meets an odd stranger on a cool April night, he gets thrown roughly and unexpectedly into the completely confusing world of psychics, ghosts, and everything in-between.He always considered himself an avid non-believer in the supernatural, but the stupid redheaded nuisance of a ghost that keeps following him around and talking his ear off seems real enough, so like it or not, Kageyama's life is about to get a whole lot more interesting—though for better or for worse, only time will tell.





	1. First Sunrise

"Great job, Kageyama, but you're still throwing them a little too high. Let's do a few more before the sun sets."

Kageyama nodded at his team captain, going to retrieve a volleyball from the pile they'd set up by a nearby oak tree. He picked one up and paused a moment to stare out at the horizon, where the sun was hanging low in the sky. It would probably set completely in about twenty minutes: that wasn't much time.

"Kageyama, come on. We're wasting daylight!"

"Sorry." Kageyama lowered into the proper stance, tracking the captain's form with his eyes. As soon as he reached the highest point of his jump, Kageyama took a deep breath and set the ball. It struck his hand at an awkward angle, ricocheting off a tree—narrowly avoiding Kageyama's head—and bounced down the hill.

"Sorry! That was my bad."

"I'll go get it," Kageyama said quickly, sprinting after the stray ball to save his senpai the trouble.

It was nearing April, and rain from the previous night still lingered on the ground, the grass shining with dew. Little streams ran in curved rivulets down the sides of the street, carrying faded cherry blossom petals. The slickness didn't help stop the ball's momentum at all: in fact, it began to pick up speed until Kageyama couldn't keep up with it anymore.

The sun was beginning to set already. Its bright golden rays were blinding, making it even harder to grab the spirited ball. Kageyama didn't think he would be able to catch it. Oh well: it didn't really matter. It was just one volleyball. It wasn't like it was irreplaceable. He wasn't even entirely sure why he was still chasing it.

Out of nowhere, the sound of running feet splashed down the sidewalk from behind. There came a flash of bright orange that left Kageyama wide-eyed. _Brighter than the sunset._ A blur shot past him, so quick he could barely blink before it was ahead of him. Feet skidded through water and in a flash, Kageyama found himself staring at someone: a boy whose hand had just shot down and grabbed the volleyball.

_He caught up with it instantly..._

Grabbing the volleyball securely with both hands, the boy straightened up while Kageyama stared at him in incomprehension. Everything stilled to slow motion around him: the sun was setting, and from a distance, there was the faint sound of a bird's call. Cherry blossoms floated down from above, landing in the dirty puddles that littered the road; a short boy stood in front of him with orange hair, bright eyes, and a wide smile. Who _was_  he?

"Hey, is this yours?" The boy held out the ball, nearly knocking Kageyama in the chest with it.

He blinked slowly, feeling as if he had just woken up or had pulled his head out of cold water. "Oh, um... yeah." He took the ball and tucked it safely under his arm, studying the redheaded kid warily. "How exactly... did you do that?"

The mystery boy blinked at him in confusion, wearing a naïve smile. "Do what?"

"Catch the ball like that," Kageyama scoffed. "Duh."

"Oh. Hmm... I guess I just..." The boy made a slicing movement with his arm. "I just went like _voom!_ and then jumped and _fwahh!_ grabbed it before it could roll away. It was pretty fun!" Ignoring Kageyama's look of complete confusion, the boy frowned in thought, placing his hands on his slender hips. "Hey, wait a second... how come you can see me, huh?"

"What?" Kageyama crossed his arms, unintentionally mirroring the shorter boy. The kid utterly perplexed him. " _Of course_ I can see you, you dumbass. You're literally standing right in front of me." How confusing... A whirlwind of a boy just ran by, saved his volleyball, and started asking weird questions. What the hell was going on?

The redhead stuck his tongue out at Kageyama petulantly. "Don't call me a dumbass! Most people can't see me, so I was just wondering why _you_ can," he huffed, turning his back on him. "Geez, you didn't even thank me for saving your volleyball. It took a lot of effort to grab it, y'know!"

"Are you a dumbass _and_ lazy?" Kageyama deadpanned.

The boy spun on him with an angry, scrunched-up facial expression that Kageyama would've found utterly hilarious if he wasn't so lost. "Shut up, I'm _not_ lazy! It just takes a lot of energy to manifest enough to catch a volleyball, okay?"

" _Manifest_?" Kageyama snickered. "What are you, some kind of occultist?"

"You are so... _GAH_!" The boy let out a frustrated breath and threw his arms down. He crossed them restlessly a second later, amber eyes narrowed in annoyance. " _This_ is what I get for being nice! Why can such a stupid jerk like you see me? Why not Kenma or Natsu?" He let out a depressed breath, deflating like an old party balloon. "How unfair..."

Kageyama furrowed his brows, struggling to keep up with the strange conversation. "Wait... who are Natsu and Kenma?" His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "And what's with this 'see me' crap, dumbass?!"

" _Stop_ calling me that!" The boy stomped his foot, face reddening with his growing anger while Kageyama remained impassive—albeit incredibly puzzled. "Haven't you figured it out yet?!" The redhead reared back a fist, aiming for his chest. Kageyama immediately held up a hand to block the blow, but none came. The hand went completely through his arm, leaving a cold sensation in its wake.

"What the hell..."

"I'm a _ghost_!" the boy exclaimed, pointing at the still-stunned Kageyama with a self-satisfied smile. "So ha, see! _You're_ the dumbass, not me! So there!"

Kageyama didn't reply. He was still staring with wide eyes at his arm, which tingled with cold. _His fist went right through me... like I wasn't even there. What the hell is this?_

"Hey, did you hear me?" The boy leaned closer to him with a scowl. "I _said_ I'm a ghost, stupid. Don't look so shocked!"

Kageyama snapped out of it to glare at him, which seemed to rattle the boy. He leaned down so they were eye-level with each other, squinting at the redhead dubiously. "Listen up, dumbass... If you're really a ghost, then why can I see you?"

"THAT'S WHAT I WAS _SAYING_!" he howled in frustration, tearing his hands through his hair and messing up the spiked tangerine peaks even further. "There's only one person that's ever been able to see me before you!" He straightened suddenly, piercing Kageyama with a suspicious stare. "Hey... you're not a ghost, too, are you?"

Kageyama snorted. "Do I _look_ like a ghost to you, dumbass?"

" _Urgghhh._ " The boy looked like he was going to strangle him, baring his teeth like a stray dog. He seemed to calm himself down after a while of heavy breathing and angry huffing noises and turned to Kageyama again, who had been watching him in amused silence. "So you're _not_ a ghost: that must mean you're a psychic, like Yachi-san."

"No," Kageyama said immediately, "I'm _not_ a psychic."

"You must be!" the boy protested. "That's the only explanation for—"

"Kageyama!" a voice shouted, cutting him off. The captain stood at the top of the hill, tapping his foot impatiently. "Kageyama, stop talking to yourself! If you have the ball, get back up here! It's getting darker!" He turned back around and disappeared from sight before Kageyama could answer: short-tempered, as per the norm.

Kageyama sighed. "I've got to go, but don't think that this conversation is over."

He turned and started back up the hill, but the mysterious redhead called out to him once more, "Hey, wait up for a second!"

"What?" Kageyama turned around appeasingly. "Spit it out, dumbass."

The boy steamed at the insult but muttered, "What's your name?" anyway. The last remnants of the sun caught the edges of his figure. He looked like he was on fire. 

Kageyama gripped the volleyball tight enough to turn his knuckles white. He didn't have a reason to answer, but he somehow couldn't resist. "It's Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio."

"I'm Hinata Shōyō," the boy replied. His face broke into a wide, abrupt smile: the kind that spread throughout your whole face and caused your eyes to close from the cheerful force of it. Kageyama had only ever seen it in movies or in manga before. "I'll definitely see you around, Kageyama!"

Before he could say anything in response, the boy was gone, leaving only a faint wind and a stirring of leaves behind. After a long moment of wavering in the silence, Kageyama turned and started walking up the hill, glowering at the ground. "Dumbass," he muttered, clutching the ball tighter. "I'm not a psychic, and I don't believe in ghosts."

***  *  *  *  ***

The next morning, Kageyama rested his head on his desk while listening to the monotonous droning of his teacher, who was yammering on about some war that he could care less about. All that was on his mind was Hinata Shōyō. A cycle of words cycled through his mind, which he feebly tried to make sense of. _Hinata; ghost; sunset; Hinata; ghost; volleyball; psychic; dumbass; Hinata; ghost?_

He let out an annoyed breath and closed his eyes. As if he didn't _already_ have enough to think about between studying and volleyball: now there was _this_ crazy mess, too. A ghost? _Really?_ Kageyama was certain he was the butt of a bad joke. _But still..._ He remembered back to when Hinata's hand had gone right through his arm: the brush of ice cold against his skin, chilling to the core. _That was real. And if_ that _was real, then maybe..._

"Kageyama.  _Psst_ , Kageyama. _Ka-ge-ya-ma_!"

Kageyama whipped his head up so fast he heard his neck crack. He jerked backward a second later, finding Hinata's nose inexplicably inches from his face, and nearly fell out of his chair. "What the hell?" he hissed, glancing around warily. If someone saw, they'd think he was nuts. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?!"

Hinata smiled and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. " _Well_ , I was talking to Yachi-san and she said she knew what class you were in! What a crazy coincidence that you guys are both psychics and go to the same school and everything. How cool!"

"I told you already, I'm _not_ a psychic," Kageyama hissed. "Now _go away_ , before someone notices!"

Hinata ignored him, flopping down on the ground with his legs spread out like a child, watching the teacher at the board intently. "Ooh, I haven't been to a classroom in so long. It's just like I remember!"

"Hinata," Kageyama growled through gritted teeth, trying not to lose his temper, "you need to go. _Now_."

" _Kageyamaaaa_ ," he whined in protest, pouting like a toddler who'd just been told he can't have another cookie. "I really want to stay! This is fun. I never get to go anywhere and nobody can see me, so they don't talk to me..." He trailed off and drew lazy circles on the ground with his pinkie. "It gets boring all by myself..."

Kageyama sighed. He might've felt sorry for him... _if_ he wasn't so annoying—and if he weren't acting like they were old friends when they'd known each other for barely a day. "Hinata, we just met yesterday. You can't show up and hang around my class all day. Why don't you go hang out with this... this _Yachi-san_ , or whoever."

Hinata hugged his knees to his chest dejectedly. "Yachi-san said I can't talk to her during school because it makes her look weird..."

"Well, imagine how _I_ look," Kageyama muttered with an annoyed click of the tongue. He sighed despairingly when the ginger continued brooding, picking at minuscule molecules of dust on the floor. " _Look_ , I'll tell you what: you can hang around until lunch time, but then you _have_ to go, okay?"

Hinata brightened visibly and nodded several times, so enthusiastically that Kageyama was afraid his head would fly clean off his tiny shoulders. "Yes! Thank you, Kageyama! I'll be good: I swear." He straightened and crossed his legs, staring at the board with steadfast determination. "I'll just sit here and be quiet!"

Kageyama sighed and turned his attention back to the front. He could already tell that Hinata Shōyō was going to be a _major_  handful...

*** * * * ***

"Yay, yay, yay, yay, yaaaay!" Hinata bounced around like an excited kangaroo, making Kageyama roll his eyes. He ran from place to place, arms rotating from being clenched at his sides, raised in the air, tangled in the front of his shirt, and pointing at random things. His eyes were wide and a happy smile brightened his pale face. "Uwah, this is so cool! School looks _exactly_ like I remember!"

"Stop jumping around, dumbass," Kageyama ordered, stopping in front of a vending machine and frowning down at the drink selection. Hinata flopped to a rough stop beside him obediently and clasped his hands behind his back, leaning forward with a curious look, as if he'd never seen a drink machine before.

"What are you doing?"

"Buying milk," Kageyama responded shortly, pressing a button and swiping the box from the delivery slot. He popped the straw through the top and sipped it. He settled under the large tree in the center of the courtyard. Kageyama tried his best not to squeeze the box to the point of explosion when Hinata flopped down beside him, grinning like an idiot—and frankly starting to piss Kageyama off. "Oi, dumbass, quit smiling so much. You're ticking me off."

Hinata stuck his tongue out at him in juvenile response. "Shut up, Bakageyama! Smiling is good for you, y'know."

Kageyama nearly spit out his milk. " _What_ did you just call me, you ghost bastard?"

Conveniently ignoring him, Hinata's eyes scanned the courtyard until they landed on someone across the lawn. His mouth formed a little 'o' before he jumped to his feet and waved his arms enthusiastically. "Yachi-san! Helloooo, Yachi-san!" Kageyama followed the excited boy's eyes and found a petite blonde girl waving back at Hinata with a small smile.

As he ran over to her, Kageyama rolled his eyes and took another sip of milk.  _He really_ is _going to be a nuisance._


	2. Yachi Hitoka

"You want me to do _what_?" Kageyama stared blankly at Hinata, raising a single eyebrow to show his mild disconcertment. 

The orange-haired ball of unlimited energy standing in front of him bounced up and down several times like a loose slinky, still smiling. "Come see Yachi-san with me! She can tell if you're really a psychic or not. Although, obviously, you must be if you can see me..." He muttered the last bit, and Kageyama's brow quirked in annoyance.

"Oi, dumbass, I've told you already a billion times; I am _not_ a psychic."

Hinata huffed and crossed his arms in a pouting manner Kageyama now equated with his usually short and infrequent bouts of anger. " _Kageyaaammmaaaa_ , stop calling me dumbass!"

"I'll stop calling you a dumbass when you stop being one," Kageyama replied icily. "Just _why_ do I have to go see this Yachi, huh? Even if I were a psychic—and I’m not saying I _am_ —what do I care? So I see ghosts? So what? Nothing's going to change: there will just be even _more_ annoying people for me to ignore."

Hinata's pout deepened at the implied insult and he stomped his foot like a petulant child. "Kageyama, why are you being so _difficult_ about this? Most people would be _excited_ to know they have such a cool and unique talent as seeing ghosts!"

"Well, I'm not most people," Kageyama shot back with a glare, trying to duck around Hinata in order to get to his bike. The boy moved with him, waving his arms back and forth, squeezing his eyes shut and rapidly shaking his head, as if that would somehow stop him better. 

"Kageyama, _pleaassseee_!"

Kageyama ignored him and continued trying to get past until he realized something. With a triumphant smirk, he stepped right through Hinata’s incorporeal form, ignoring the brush of immense cold, and continued on his merry way. 

The redhead squeaked behind him and whipped around to yell at his receding back. "K-Kageyama!" He turned around civilly to find the ginger flushed and rubbing his arms like he’d caught a chill. "Kageyama, don't _walk through me_! It feels weird..."

"It's your fault for getting in my way," he retorted, spinning on his heel and continuing towards home. He could practically see Hinata's ever-present childlike pout, even before the boy bounded after him, and snickered lightly to himself. 

"Kageyama, _please_ come with me!" the boy begged, acting like he hadn't heard a single thing Kageyama had just said. "Please please _pleeassssee_!"

This was starting to get more than a little bit annoying. Kageyama was sure he would end up getting premature wrinkles from how much he scowled when Hinata was around. If he _was_ a psychic, he hoped to God there was a way to switch it off so he didn't have to deal with this. "Oi, dumbass, I've said no at least five times now! How much more do I have to say it before it gets through that thick skull of yours?"

Hinata let out a shrill whine. "Kageyama, why don't you wanna come? Yachi-san is _really_ nice and I bet she could answer all of your questions and—"

"Ugh, okay, _fine_ ," Kageyama interrupted, finally giving in and turning a harsh look on the shorter boy. "If you will shut up for _five seconds_ , I'll go with you _tomorrow_ , got it?"

"Got it!" Hinata immediately slapped his hand over his mouth after the enthusiastic statement and gave him a thumbs-up instead. Kageyama simply rolled his eyes and continued walking, silently trying to think of ways to get out of this.

"Kageyama, it's been five seconds!" 

The setter grimaced as the little ball of sunshine pranced up to him and tried to suppress the rising urge to jump out into the street and get hit by the nearest bus. But _then_ he'd just become a ghost and Hinata could pester him for the rest of eternity. No matter how much he thought about it, Kageyama just couldn't think of a way to get himself out of this situation.

_God help me…_  


*** * * * ***

" _Psst_ , Kageyama. _Psst. Pssstttt_." The voice was low, neverending, and annoying, whispering right in Kageyama's ear, like the irritating buzzing of a circling fly. "How long are you going to sleep for?"

"Wha..." He blinked open one eye sleepily and immediately gave a cry of alarm, jolting upright and falling straight off the side of his bed. He found himself blinking up at a smiling Hinata, who was kneeling over him, hands on knees, seemingly without a care in the world. 

"It's about time! You've been sleeping for a _reallllly_ long time."

Kageyama growled, wishing against anything that he could strangle the life (death?) out of the boy in front of him. "How the _hell_ did you get in my room, dumbass?!" He stood—wincing as his back cracked—and turned a glare on the culprit of his pain, who smiled sheepishly. 

"Uh, well... I walked with you all the way here last night, so I knew where it was, and I can just walk right on through the wall, so... I decided to wake you up! Surprise!"

"I can wake up just fine on my own, thank you," Kageyama muttered irritably, stomping towards his closet, spewing curses (most of them involving Hinata) under his breath as he clutched his stinging elbow. "Not to mention it's _Saturday_ , dumbass, which means I don't _need_ to wake up early."

"Oh..." Hinata fidgeted in embarrassment. "Sorry... I just got excited..." His smile was back as soon as it had disappeared, as if nothing had happened. "Yachi-san will be so happy to meet you! I've been telling her all about you and she said that— she said—" He paused with a slight flush as Kageyama turned to him with a raised brow. "I— I mean I haven't been talking about you _a lot_ or anything!

"I was just— No one has ever been able to see me before Yachi-san so I was— I was just excited to find another psychic, that's all— I mean, not that you _are_ one!" he rushed on as Kageyama shot him a glare. "I— I just meant— I meant that— I meant that—" His blush deepened and he looked at the ground in embarrassment. "Just… nevermind..."

Kageyama sighed, staring up at the ceiling as if asking God himself to end his miserable life so he didn't have to deal with this dumbass anymore. God, of course, didn't answer, so Kageyama sighed again and retreated into the bathroom, ordering Hinata to stay behind so he could take a shower and get changed. He locked the door and stripped, turning on the water until it was steaming.

He stayed under the hot stream until his palms were wrinkly and his skin was stinging and pink, wanting to avoid Hinata as long as possible. He figured the boy wasn't that bad, but honestly, Kageyama wasn't the type that people made friends with. In fact, the only people who hung around with him were his volleyball teammates, and that was because they had to. Hinata was the first person to stubbornly insist on hanging around him, and it made him... _uncomfortable_.

Ever since he was a kid, Kageyama hadn't been huge on human interaction. He shied away from family members when they tried to hug him and avoided other children like the plague, refusing invitations to play and scowling when they tried to include him in their boring lunchroom conversations. Honestly, the only thing he was _really_ interested in was volleyball, and no one seemed to want to talk about it as much as he did, even his teammates.

Sighing, Kageyama shut off the water and dried off, slipping into a fresh set of clothes and staring at his reflection in the foggy surface of the mirror. His hair was dripping wet still, leaving damp stains on his shirt, and his skin was bright pink from the hot water. He scrubbed his face with cold water to try and fix it, but it ended up just making it worse. Oh well. He didn't really care about his appearance, anyway.

But even though he told himself that, he still unconsciously brushed his fingers through his wet hair and scrubbed his teeth before leaving the bathroom. Before he could ponder why he did this, he was brought up short seeing Hinata sitting cross-legged on his bed, staring at a picture of him from a few summers ago that hung on the far wall. Kageyama's brow quirked in irritation and he chucked his towel with all his might at the ginger. 

It whizzed right through him and struck the wall with a wet _slap!_ , but Hinata screeched nonetheless, covering himself like he had when Kageyama walked through him and falling backward off the bed, legs phasing through the mattress. "EEEK!"

He bolted upright, hugging his legs to his chest and glaring harshly at Kageyama, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. "I _told_ you not to throw stuff through me, Bakageyama! It’s so _fuwaahhh_!" 

Kageyama ignored his nonsensical outburst and retrieved the towel, slinging it over the back of his desk chair. "Actually, you told me not to _walk_ through you. You said nothing about _throwing things_ , dumbass."

Hinata floundered for a moment. "E-even so, please don't do that again!" He fidgeted uncomfortably, staring at the towel like it was a poisonous snake poised to bite. "It feels weird... Like all _gwaaaahhhh_!"

Kageyama tried not to show how amused he was by Hinata's interesting wording and snorted. "Whatever, idiot. Let's go already if you're _that_ excited." He made for the door, knowing Hinata would follow, and plodded down the stairs towards the kitchen. "Oi, hurry up." His parents were already at work, so he didn't have to worry about anyone hearing him talk to Hinata, though he probably would've been too tired to care, anyway.

"I'm coming!" Hinata called back from upstairs, flying down the stairs and swooping past the living room, spinning around to avoid the kitchen table and coming to a rough stop next to Kageyama, who had pulled open the fridge to grab the milk. 

He rolled his eyes at the enthusiastic ginger. "Why do you have so much energy if you're dead?"

" _Rude_ ," Hinata scolded, puffing his cheeks out in annoyance. "I have the exact same amount of energy as when I died. That makes sense... doesn't it?"

"No," Kageyama deadpanned, "it really doesn't." Hinata only seemed confused by this, so he decided to drop the subject and poured some milk into a glass, which he swiftly chugged down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and placing the carton back in the fridge. "Let's go," he ordered, not wanting to waste any time he didn't have to. The sooner this was over with, the better.

"Yay!" Hinata grinned and bounced towards the door. "Follow me!"

*** * * * ***

Yachi Hitoka lived in a rather fancy apartment in a fairly busy part of town, which Kageyama found kind of impressive, but wouldn't tell Hinata that to save his life. The redhead had told him on the way over that he'd met Yachi a week after he died, while he was wandering around town, still unsure what was going on and trying to get people to see and talk to him. Yachi had apparently been the only one to notice him and had helped him a lot, explaining his situation and teaching him about what was happening to him.

Kageyama could tell Hinata held a deep respect for the girl, and no doubt felt a strong connection with her, as she was the first person to speak to him after his death and had helped him so much. Kageyama found it almost endearing of her to take out so much of her own time to help the ghost of a boy she didn't even know. He probably wouldn't have done the same in her shoes.

"Here we are!" Hinata bounced to a stop with a wide smile in front of the apartment door and gestured at a wall full of different call buttons. "I can just walk through the wall, but you'll have to buzz up. It's number sixteen."

Grumbling irritably under his breath, Kageyama pressed the button, buzzing up to the specified apartment. After a moment, it buzzed back, and a cheerful female voice chimed, "Yes, who is it?"

"Um..." Kageyama cleared his throat and—after an encouraging smile from Hinata—continued. "Well, I'm Kageyama Tobio, and I'm here with, uh... Hinata Shōyō?" It sounded more like a question than a statement, but after a moment of radio silence, the door was buzzed open and the voice instructed for him to come on up. Hinata bounded right through the wall and Kageyama hesitantly followed, heading towards the elevator. He rode it to the second floor and followed Hinata to a door at the end, inlaid with a gold name plaque reading 'Yachi Household'.

They stopped outside, and Kageyama looked at Hinata skeptically. The ginger nodded with that same idiotic smile still on his face. "Go on. Knock. Yachi-san won't bite."

With a sigh, Kageyama turned to the door, clenching his fists several times before finally reaching out and knocking thrice upon the solid oak surface. A few moments later, he could hear the sound of hurried footsteps before the door was thrown open to reveal a petite blonde girl with wide brown eyes.

"Is this him?" she asked breathlessly, glancing from Hinata to Kageyama and back again.

Hinata smiled. "Yep! Morning, Yachi-san! This is Kageyama."

Yachi's gaze was so unnerving, Kageyama took a half-step back out of discomfort. "Uh, nice to meet you..."

"Indeed," she responded, gazing at him as if he held the secrets of the universe, which only made Kageyama _more_ uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot nervously. Seeming to realize she was _this close_ to scaring him off, Yachi stepped back and held open the door with a friendly smile. "Come on in!" Her eyes seemed to shift in the light as she looked up at him. "We have a _lot_ to talk about, Kageyama Tobio."


	3. Reflection and Acceptance

"Alright, please have a seat." Yachi gestured at a leather couch, which Kageyama hesitantly lowered himself onto, still watching the small blonde warily. She gave him an odd vibe, which may—he supposed—have been because of the fact that she was a psychic, but he couldn't really know for sure. If Hinata's theory was correct and he too was psychic, that could've explained it. Maybe he would feel an odd connection to her if they both shared the same gift.

Of course, he still refused to believe he _was_ a psychic. There was absolutely no possible way. _Now_ he just had to convince Yachi and Hinata of this, which was proving to be more difficult than anticipated...

"Alright." Yachi—who had been furrowing around in some nearby cabinets that bordered the living room—plunked down a few weird-looking objects on the coffee table in front of the couch, the most noticeable and strange of them being an actual _crystal ball_. She seated herself in front of them, placing her palms flat on the table. "There are several ways to check for latent psychic talent. Are you ready?"

"Um..." Kageyama eyed the items on the table nervously. "Sure, I guess...?"

Yachi smiled, which only made Kageyama more nervous. "Alright! Let's start with this one." She reached for a triangle-shaped stone with a hollow circle in the center and held it up to her left eye, aiming it straight at him. "This one's a little sketchy, but it can sometimes work. It's called an aura stone. It shows a person's spirit."

"Okay?" Kageyama watched her with a raised brow. Yachi was proving to be a rather... _interesting_ person, without a doubt. Though Kageyama couldn't tell what type of person she was just yet, and he couldn't help but wonder what her story was. He knew she'd helped Hinata when he was lost and in need, but did that make her a good person? Kageyama had never been the best judge of character, so he wasn't sure.

"Nothing from the aura stone," Yachi mumbled to herself, setting it down and moving to the next item, which was a clear blue chip of circular stained glass. "Let's try this..." She trailed off and started studying him again, lips moving slightly as she whispered things to herself, completely focused on her work. It was almost a bit unnerving.

Seeming to notice Kageyama's uncomfortable look, Hinata flashed him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Kageyama; she gets like this sometimes when she's thinking. Talking to herself helps her focus."

Kageyama nodded hesitantly and turned back to Yachi, watching as she set down the glass and picked up the second-to-last item, a Y-shaped thing made of something that looked suspiciously like bone. This whole thing was starting to feel ridiculous. All this weird equipment and Yachi and Hinata... Kageyama _really_ just wanted to go back home.

He hadn't asked for any of this. Ghosts and psychics weren't supposed to be real, and Kageyama definitely wasn't supposed to have anything to do with either. It was all a little overwhelming, though he knew he needed to find some way to deal with it. If he really was—and Kageyama still didn't believe there was even the _smallest_ possibility he was—psychic, then he'd have to face the firing squad, and being a pansy about it wasn't going to solve anything.

"Bingo!" Yachi shouted, scaring Kageyama so much he jumped, banging his knee on the coffee table. The blonde covered her mouth with a giggle. "Oops. Sorry for scaring you. But look!" She held up the last item; the crystal ball. "Look at the surface. Its normal color is clear blue, but look here; it's turned gold in the center. You know what that means?"

"Uh... no?"

"Oh, right." She giggled again. "Of course not. Well, to give you the short end of it, it means you're psychic."

Hinata let out a triumphant yell while Kageyama sagged back against the couch with a groan. "Haha! I knew it!" He placed his hands on his hips and stuck his tongue out. "I _told_ you, Bakageyama!"

Kageyama ignored him and turned to Yachi. "So, what does this mean? I can see ghosts now?"

"Well, that's the thing..." Yachi got to her feet and started gathering up the objects, moving to place them back in their respective locations, frowning slightly. "Technically, you should've _always_ been able to see them. It's easy to tell them apart from normal people, even if you haven't had any psychic training, so you would've known long before this, which leads me to believe that your abilities only awakened recently."

She returned to the table and stared at Kageyama intensely. "Which begs the question; why now? It makes no sense to me." She crossed her arms, shaking her head in confusion. "Tell me; has anyone close to you died recently?" Kageyama shook his head. "Did you undergo some sort of trauma or accident?" Another head shake. "Did you get really sick recently?" Yet another shake no.

Yachi let out a loud groan and threw up her arms in frustration. "Then I have no explanation! It makes absolutely _zero_ sense!" She started pacing, making Kageyama more anxious just by watching her. "There _has_ to be some loophole, some hail mary that could've activated your latent abilities, but _what_?"

She let out a loud groan and stopped abruptly, making both Kageyama and Hinata let out sighs of relief. "That isn't important. Not important." She turned to Kageyama, hands on her hips. "What's important is training you. An untrained psychic walking around is _not_ something my mom needs to deal with right now. What do you say, Kageyama? Can you start now, or is that too short notice?"

He blinked at her several times, trying to comprehend the rapid-fire speech. "Whoa, whoa, _whoa_ ; hold on just a minute. I never agreed to train with you."

Yachi stopped, staring over at him, brows furrowed as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait... you mean you _don't_ want to train? Then why would you bother coming here?"

"That's what _I'd_ like to know," Kageyama said pointedly, shooting a glare Hinata's way. "All I said was that I would come see you, that's _it_. I never said I would train with you. I just wanted to know what I am, and now that that's all cleared up, I'll be going back home." He stood from the couch and started towards the door. "Thanks for all your help. Sorry to trouble you."

"B-b-but— _Kageyama_!" Hinata leaped in front of him, arms held out, making a defensive T. "Now that you know you're psychic, how can you just go back home like everything's _normal_?!"

"Because it _is_ ," Kageyama hissed, glowering at him. "Now get out of my way."

"Kageyama-kun, please wait a moment!" Yachi darted around him to stand beside Hinata, arms clutched worriedly at her sides. "I understand your feelings, and I respect your wishes and whatever you decide to do, but I'm not saying I agree with them. Walking around with powers you have no clue how to use can be dangerous, both for you and everyone else around you. Please promise to at least _consider_ training with me."

"Fine," Kageyama agreed gruffly, pushing past her as Hinata darted out of the way to avoid being walked through. "I'll think about it. Whatever gets me out of here quicker." He jerked open the door and stormed out, followed by Hinata after he hurriedly apologized to Yachi for Kageyama's rude behavior. Not that he cared. This was ridiculous. Even if he was psychic, that didn't mean everything had to change...

...did it?

*** * * * ***

"Kageyama, that was really rude of you to talk to Yachi-san like that," Hinata huffed, crossing his arms with a pout. "She's just trying to help you, y'know. You heard what she said about it being dangerous for you to walk around without knowing anything about what you can do. What if you get hurt?" 

"I _won't_ get hurt. Now shut up and let me walk in peace, dumbass." Kageyama shoved his hands in his pockets, staring out at the setting sun with a scowl. Hinata hadn't stopped bugging him since they left Yachi's place, and he was contemplating trying to ditch him, though he was sure that wouldn't work. Hinata _did_ know where he lived, after all. _Gah_ , this just kept getting better and _better_ , didn't it? 

Hinata clasped his hands behind his back beside him and looked down at the ground, walking in a straight line, heel to toe, heel to toe, heel to toe. For a while, he said nothing, and Kageyama was grateful for the quiet. He was nearing his house now. Maybe ten more minutes of walking, less than that if he hurried. 

"You know... I was really glad you could see me when we met." The words were so quiet Kageyama almost didn't hear them. His eyes flashed over to Hinata before returning to the road. A moment later, he continued in a slightly louder tone, but still somber. "When I died, I could remember how it happened... I was really upset and confused and had no one. I was all alone... But then Yachi-san found me." He kicked at a leaf, uprooting it from the crevice it was stuck in and sending it skittering away with another nudge. 

"She helped me a lot; explained how this whole 'being a ghost' thing worked. She taught me how to phase through things, go wherever I wanted, and even how to touch things." His eyes narrowed as he smiled; a sad, tiny smile that wasn't befitting of such a cheerful person. "And then you came along... I was so happy to finally have someone else to talk to aside from Yachi-san." He gave a quiet laugh. "But I guess I'm kinda annoying, huh?" 

"Yeah, but nothing I can't handle," Kageyama grumbled, feeling his anger dampen a bit. 

Hinata's smile brightened, making him feel slightly better. It looked much better than his other smile. "Haha, I know!" He skipped ahead a few steps and turned to look back at him with a light laugh. "You know, I'm glad I got to meet you. You're a pretty good friend, Kageyama!" He turned and ran a few more feet ahead, waving over his shoulder with a smile that could rival the sun. "See ya!" 

With a strong gust of wind, Hinata was covered by a swirl of golden leaves and disappeared, leaving a stunned Kageyama standing there, staring out at the setting sun with the boy's words replaying over and over in his mind. _You know, I'm glad I got to meet you. You're a pretty good friend, Kageyama!_

After another minute of silence and stillness, Kageyama hunched forward and started walking again, eyes downcast. _Maybe he's not so bad, after all._

*** * * * ***

"I'll do it!" Kageyama bowed to a very startled Yachi Hitoka with a humble expression. "Please teach me!" 

"Uh..." Yachi laughed, scratching at her left cheek nervously. "Of course I'll teach you, Kageyama-kun, but why the sudden change of heart?" She pulled the front door aside and gestured him in, shutting it as soon as he had straightened up and scurried past her. "I mean, you seemed _pretty_ adamant about not doing it yesterday." 

Kageyama shifted, lips tightening. "Well, um, you see..." His mind flashed to the previous night, and he felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. "I mean, your argument was very convincing, that's all! If I have strange powers, it would be best to learn to control them to keep others out of harm's way." He tugged at his collar uncomfortably. "That's it. Nothing else to it." 

Yachi raised a brow, mouth twitching in quiet amusement. "Alright then, Kageyama-kun. We can start immediately, although Hinata-kun is supposed to be here any time now, so we should wait for him. He made me promise to let him observe your training if you agreed, considering he rarely gets to see psychics in action..." She giggled. "He's certainly a very curious person." 

"Mmm..." Kageyama glanced over at her, eyes narrowed curiously. "Tell me..." He edged closer to her and bent down, cupping his hands around his mouth conspiratorially. "What else do you know about Hinata, Yachi-san?" 

The blonde laughed nervously. "Well... Hinata is—" 

"YAAACCHHHIIII-SAAAAANNNNN, KAGGEEYYYAAAMMMAAA!" An orange blur came barreling through the wall at that exact moment, and Yachi screeched and jumped to the side, causing Hinata to run right past her and straight into another wall. Kageyama leaned over, head cocked to the side, as the ginger poked his head back through a second later, brown eyes sparkling. He bounded through the wall and came to a stop beside a still terrified Yachi with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Yachi-san, I didn't mean to scare you!" 

"I-i-it's f-f-fine," Yachi said, though she was still trembling, and looked like her soul had temporarily left her body. "Um, K-Kageyama-kun... let's beginning your training, shall we?" 

Kageyama nodded gruffly, wincing when Hinata shouted—about 20 decibels too loudly—right next to his ear, "YAAAAYYYYY! This is going to be so much fun!" 


	4. Training Begins

"Alright, Kageyama-kun, to start your training, I have a few things for you." Yachi struggled to set down her armful of heavy leather-bound books in front of Kageyama, who was seated at her kitchen table. She wiped the sweat from her brow and began unstacking them, arms trembling under the weight. "This book will tell you the different types of spirits, this one has a list of psychic abilities, this one details a few different theories on some of the greatest psychics in history." With each sentence, she slapped another book in front of Kageyama until the pile was nearly as high as Hinata.

"Um... Yachi-san, this is a lot to read," Kageyama muttered, moving a few of the hefty books so he could look the short blonde in the eye.

Beside him, Hinata was ogling the stack like an excited kid opening his presents on Christmas morning. "Ooh, I wanna learn it all, too!"

"I'm sorry for the load, Kageyama-kun," Yachi said, ignoring Hinata. "But please don't worry; it won't be _all_ reading. There will be lots of field work too." She said this with a wink, as if it should make Kageyama happy, but in all actuality, it really just made him even more nervous. "In fact, you'll even get to go out _today_. But first, we need to start memorizing, so crack open that book right there."

Kageyama slid the one she pointed at off the top of the stack and opened it to the first page with a grimace. Yachi pulled it to the center of the table and pointed at the first line. "This is a book detailing all the different types of spirits, from A to Z. It would help if we went over a few of the most frequently occurring ones before anything else." She slid her finger over to a picture on the left. "This here is called an _Amanojaku_. These little suckers cause about seventy percent of our trouble as psychics. They're basically spirits that make people do bad things."

"Mmm..." Kageyama nodded, trying to retain as much info as he could as she moved on down the list. "Next we have _Baku_ and _Gaki_ ; _Baku_ are spirits who devour dreams and nightmares, and _Gaki_ are the starving ghosts of greedy people. Each of them can be dangerous, depending on what stage of manifestation they're at. _Goryō_ can sometimes be confused with _Gaki_ , but _Goryō_ are _vengeful_ spirits of the dead, _not_ starving." She glanced up at him. "Do you understand?"

"I— I think so..." Kageyama lied, frantically trying to memorize everything she was throwing at him. He was having trouble keeping up with the whirlwind pace, but that seemed to be the only speed the girl knew—as he'd seen when he first met her.

Yachi didn't seem to realize this, however. as she simply smiled at him. "Good. Next is _Jibakurei_. Eh..." She scratched her cheek with a sheepish smile. "You _might_ want to start taking notes, Kageyama-kun. It can all get a little confusing otherwise."

"Right." Kageyama paused, relieved at the lapse in spitfire conversation. "Um... do you have paper and a pen, by any chance?"

Yachi giggled. "Sure thing! Wait here." She pushed herself away from the table and scurried off into the depths of the apartment on socked feet. Kageyama could hear her rummaging around somewhere nearby, talking to herself in a low voice.

Hinata turned to look at him from his spot on the floor where he'd sprawled out a short ways into Yachi's spiel, wearing one of his typical, annoyingly bright smiles. "Kageyama, isn't this _fun_?! I never knew there were so many different types of ghosts before!"

Kageyama glared at him, irritated by his ever-present child-like levels of cheerfulness. "Of course _you_ would think this is fun. _You're_ not the one that has to memorize all of this, dumbass."

"So _mean_ ," Hinata complained with a small pout, though it quickly morphed into a teasing smile. "I thought we were friends, Kageyama! You could be a little nicer to me."

"I'm not mean," Kageyama muttered, sitting back on his heels with a scowl. "You just piss me off."

"You're scowling again," Hinata pointed out. "I'm starting to think you're _incapable_ of smiling."

" _I'm_ starting to think you need to be quiet," Kageyama shot back, letting out an annoyed puff of breath. Being around Hinata was very draining to him. How a _ghost_ could have so much optimism utterly baffled him. He himself was considered a major pessimist by most people, and having his literal and figurative polar opposite hanging around him almost 24/7 was causing him to reach new levels of emotional fatigue.

And _he was a ghost_. He shouldn't have been so happy, being dead and all. Didn't he miss his old life? Didn't he feel even a _tiny_ bit of remorse for what he'd lost in death? If he did, Kageyama could see no sign of it when he looked at that smiling face, which would make even the _sun_ turn its head away from the sheer brightness of it. It was so _annoying_ , Kageyama thought. He'd always steered clear of people like this, but he seemed to be stuck with Hinata.

It was like some god had bonded them together with super glue and was now sitting up in the heavens, laughing at Kageyama's misfortune. He was a pessimistic, angry sixteen-year-old psychic-in-training with an orange-haired, ball-of-sunshine ghost side-kick. It was like the plot of some ridiculous sitcom.

Without realizing it, Kageyama's scowl had deepened, pinching his cheeks uncomfortably. _I'm starting to think you're incapable of smiling._ As Hinata's words flashed through his head, he unconsciously made an effort to calm his facial muscles into a neutral expression, but with his lingering frustration, it was very hard to do. _Dammit! Why can't I stop frowning?!_

Hinata giggled. "Kageyama... Your face..." He snorted with laughter, covering his mouth as Kageyama shot him a glare that could wither grass. 

"Shut up, you dumbass. Don't you have someone to haunt or something?"

"No!" Hinata shouted defensively, puffing out his cheeks in annoyance, reminding Kageyama once again of a petulant child. "Ghosts don't actually do that, you know! What's the fun in following someone around all day and trying to annoy them, anyway? It would be so _boring_."

"You don't seem to have a problem doing it to _me_ ," Kageyama muttered under his breath, deciding the best course of action was to ignore the ginger and turn back to his book, which he did. Yachi would be back soon with the paper and pen. That would shut him up, hopefully. But until then, he'd just have to tune the boy out.

"Hey, Kageyama, are you listening? Hey. _Heeeeyyyyy._ Bakageyama!"

Kageyama grimaced. _If only that were an easy thing to do..._

*** * * * ***

"Alright, time to test your skills!" Yachi came to a sudden stop and rested her hands on her hips with a wide smile, turning to look back at Kageyama and Hinata, the former still struggling to climb the fence she had so easily scaled while Hinata watched from below, snickering. As soon as his feet were on the ground, Kageyama glared at him and moved to stand beside Yachi, brushing the dust from his clothes.

He glanced around at their surroundings warily. They were in the middle of an old section of forest that Yachi had led them to, the trees close together, their foliage hanging low to the ground and swaying in the slight wind blowing through the woods. The chain-link fence they'd been forced to climb seemed to border the entire left side, stretching off into the distance until Kageyama lost sight of it.

Branches littered the ground, which was densely packed with moss and tall-growing weeds. In shorter sections of the patchy grass, Kageyama could see old papers, pieces of plastic, and broken bottles; he guessed this place was a popular spot for degenerates and rowdy teens to hang out and throw parties. The question was: "Why are we _here_ , Yachi-san?"

"I'm glad you asked." Yachi started walking, gesturing for them to follow. As they jolted into motion to go after her, she began talking, blonde hair swaying gently in the wind. "This is a very old forest. It's been here since my great-grandma was a little girl. I used to play here when I was a kid, but a few years ago, a couple kids went missing here, and they put that fence in to keep something like that from happening again."

Hinata stiffened, glancing around, gaze suddenly nervous. "Kids went missing here?"

Kageyama moved past him with a scoff. "What are _you_ worried about? You're _dead_ , remember?"

Yachi ignored them both and continued on. "The two kids were never found, but a few months after they disappeared, I saw their spirits wandering around in the trees." Her voice turned sad. "This forest has a lot of steep cliffs. They must've fallen off of one and broken their necks..."

Kageyama's hand breezed across his throat instinctively and he felt a shiver race across his spine. Why was she telling them this?

"Or so I thought." She came to a sudden stop at the top of the hill they'd been traversing, back still turned to them. Kageyama watched her warily, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end, a feeling of anticipation tingling in his gut, though for what, he wasn't sure. "This forest is also notorious for something else other than cliffs."

Without warning, a sudden flash of lightning darted across the sky, followed by a crack of thunder and a few droplets of rain. Kageyama glanced up, flinching as a raindrop hit his eyelid. _What the hell... This rain just came out of nowhere..._ As he stood there looking up, the drizzle quickly turned into a downpour, but Yachi made no move to take cover and instead continued to stare out at the forest.

"In the psychic world, ghost hot-spots are all recorded and closely monitored lest a peaceful, harmless miasma develops into something more sinister. This forest is on that list." Holding up a hand, Yachi let several raindrops fall across her palm. "It's mostly known for its rain spirits, which would explain the sudden change of weather." Her brown eyes seemed to flash amber with the next stroke of lightning. "They've sensed our presence, and not just the rain spirits..."

"What do you mean 'not just the rain spirits'?" Kageyama inquired nervously, shifting on his feet, the edges of his shoes sliding deeper into the mud the rain was creating. He felt a chill throughout his entire body, and it had nothing to do with the rain. He could tell something was off, even before Yachi spoke: The air felt muted somehow, as if the whole forest was holding its breath.

"There are other spirits here; less friendly ones." Yachi's hand fell back to her side and her gaze sharpened, sweeping the forest, as if searching for something. "If we're lucky, we can find an _Ameonna_ or an _Amefurikozō_ before they find us. If we're _extra_ lucky, we can find the shrine located in the center of the forest, and the _Jibakurei_ there will offer us shelter and protection until the rain stops. And if not..." Her lips pressed into a worried line. "Well... let's just say we'll end up wandering along beside those kids."

" _Haaahhh_?!" Hinata whipped around so fast his neck would've snapped if he wasn't a ghost, amber eyes wide with fear. "Y-Yachi-san, you don't r-really think anything will h-happen to us, do you...?"

"You're _dead_ ," Kageyama reminded him impatiently. "You have _nothing_ to worry about."

"S-shut up, Bakageyama!" Hinata stammered in protest. "I still—"

"Guys, I hate to interrupt, but we should _really_ head towards that shrine now," Yachi murmured, catching Kageyama's attention. He followed her gaze, squinting through the blur of the rain to see a dark figure stumbling through the trees. The static feeling in the air seemed to intensify, every muscle in his body stiffening at once.

"Yeah," he agreed quickly, "that's probably a good idea."

*** * * * ***

They walked for a long time, and at every turn, Kageyama could feel that hair-raising feeling on the back of his neck that told him they were being watched. Yachi seemed to notice as well, and her lips pursed into a thin line as she almost imperceptibly quickened her pace. Hinata was the most nervous out of all of them, his form visibly shaking as his eyes roamed the woods around them.

No matter how many times Kageyama assured him he would be fine, nothing seemed to calm him. Perhaps it was the presence of these other spirits Yachi had mentioned: If Kageyama could sense them, Hinata probably could, too. And while Kageyama was good at hiding his emotions, Hinata really _wasn't_ , and he wore the fear he felt plain as day on his face.

Kageyama couldn't really blame him: This forest wasn't a place he would like to spend any more time in than he had to. The whole place gave him a strange feeling in his gut, like the sensation you got from going down a steep hill on a roller coaster or looking down from a very high place. Whether it was apprehension or anticipation, he couldn't say, but whatever it was, it was extremely unsettling.

Yachi paused without warning in front of him, and Hinata and Kageyama slowed to a stop to avoid running into her. Her face still held a note of wariness, but otherwise, she showed no signs of fear. "The shrine is there," she said quietly, raising a hand to point through the rain. "Let's go."

She started walking again, and after a moment, Hinata followed her. Kageyama stayed behind a second longer, staring around at their surroundings hesitantly. Seeing a shape lingering in the foliage out of the corner of his eye, he wasted no more time standing around and hurried after Yachi towards the waiting shrine.

*** * * * ***

The shrine was really more of a hovel, small and worn down with a cracked stone walkway and a faded _torii_ gate that had lost nearly all of its red color, leaving it a pitiful pale birch pink. The two stone _Komainu_ guarding the place were weather-worn and had several pieces missing from their facades, and the water in the _Chōyuza_ was murky and green from disuse. Old fortune papers littered the ground, brown and degraded, their words no longer intelligible, ink smeared from years of withstanding the harsh elements.

Despite all this, however, a line of faint red paper lanterns glowed in a soothing line across the top of the shrine entrance, each marked with the Japanese character for prosperity, and from within, the sound of soft humming could be heard. The sound was soothing somehow, and Kageyama could feel his tensed shoulders relaxing as they got closer.

Yachi was no longer frowning and had adopted a bright smile, as if she were about to greet a dear friend. Hinata had calmed as well, though his eyes still flicked about like those of a nervous cat, piercing through the rain with an odd intensity that Kageyama had never seen in him before. He watched the boy carefully, trying to distinguish what was different.

Before he could piece it together, though, they were approaching the hanging piece of crimson cloth that marked the entrance to the shrine. It too was painted with the character for prosperity, and under that was the symbol of protection. As Yachi pushed back the fabric to allow them entrance, a calm feeling swept through Kageyama, warming his chilled limbs and filling him with a sense of peace and belonging.

He was startled for a moment and flinched at the sudden change, eyes widening as he took in the interior of the shrine. If his clothes weren't soaked and his limbs weren't sore from trekking through the forest, he would've thought he was dreaming. The shrine had looked completely small and decrepit from the outside, but inside, it was spacious and elegant, with high-beamed ceilings and a warm atmosphere.

"What on earth..." Kageyama's eyes flicked from place to place in shock. There in the corner was a low table atop which lay a rice-paper scroll covered in neat, beautiful calligraphy, next to which sat a small pot of ink; in the center was a large statue of a regal goddess, which Kageyama guessed what the guardian deity of this particular shrine. A small firepit lay in the corner of the room, giving off a warm glow.

Kageyama almost didn't notice the person in the center of the room with how enthralled he was by the shrine. When he caught sight of them, he stared in bafflement and blinked several times to see if he was imaging him or not, but no; he was still there, standing up now, wearing a warm smile. His hair was the soft gray color of a rainstorm, and his eyes were a kind chocolate brown. He wore a plain blue yukata with silver lining, and his pale feet were bare.

While Kageyama was still staring at him like he had two heads, Yachi stepped forward and slipped into a low bow. "Suga-san, it's nice to see you again. Sorry to intrude."

The boy laughed, the sound warm and cheerful, like the tinkling of a bell or birdsong. "No apology necessary, Hitoka-chan. I love to have visitors." He stepped forward to place a hand on the blonde's shoulder with a kind smile. "Did the _Onryō_ give you trouble again?"

"Yes. They seem to be especially restless today. But it's most likely because I brought _them_." She finally turned to address the still-stunned Kageyama and Hinata, who had been watching the exchange in silent confusion. "These are my friends, Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shōyō. Kageyama is a psychic-in-training and Hinata is a spirit, so they probably sense the high amount of supernatural energy. Sorry to rile them up like that."

Suga waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Hitoka-chan. Daichi is out dealing with them now, so your way back should be free of trouble."

"Thank you so much," Yachi said with a relieved sigh. "Is he also talking with Tsukishima? I could feel his aura when the rain started, so I'm guessing he's the one behind the sudden storm."

Kageyama and Hinata shared a baffled look, completely oblivious as to what was going on, though neither Yachi nor Suga seemed to notice, and continued speaking comfortably with each other.

"Yes, well..." Suga laughed nervously. "He was over by the railroad tracks again, and he and Yamaguchi got into a bit of a disagreement... He ended up storming off, and, well... you know how he is."

"Of course," Yachi said with a light laugh. "Anyway, I brought Kageyama-kun here to show him some of the different types of spirits. Care to help me out?"

"Of course!" Suga wore and excited grin which made Kageyama slightly nervous. "Let's start right away!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter this time, and I brought in Suga yay ^-^ So let me just explain here so nobody's confused alright. Suga is the guardian spirit of the shrine, otherwise known as a Jibakurei (a spirit that protects a certain place). Daichi is a Hiyoribō (a spirit that stops rainfall), while Tuskki is an Ameotoko (a rain-making male spirit). Daichi and Suga live in the shrine while Tuskki lives in the forest. Yams is a Zashiki-warashi (a protective child-like house spirit) who protects a house nearby the railroad tracks bordering the forest, which is where he often hangs out when the family living in his house are out.


	5. Balance and Practice

"That was exhausting..." Kageyama muttered to himself, collapsing face-first into his warm blankets with a loud sigh of relief. It was late, though exactly how late, he wasn't sure. The sun had set while they were walking back through the forest, and it had taken Kageyama a good twenty minutes to get over the fence. Yachi felt bad for making him train for the entire day, so she offered to buy him dinner, which he couldn't refuse, so by the time he'd finally dragged himself back home, his family was already fast asleep, and he was _dead_ tired.

Hinata had—for once—not followed him home, but he was sure he would wake in the morning to that irritatingly bright, smiling face inches away from his nose. _Again_. Really, did Hinata _have_ a sense of personal space? It was like he _wanted_ to be as annoying as possible and purposefully step over all of Kageyama's boundaries _just_ to piss him off.

What _really_ pissed Kageyama off, though, was that he seemed simple at first glance, with that idiotic smile and boundless levels of energy, but if you looked closer at him, he really wasn't simple at all. He pestered him until he gave in to going to see Yachi; he called Kageyama a friend after having only known him for a few days; he was dead, but still seemed afraid of the world. Not to mention the fact that his past was still a complete mystery.

He realized they didn't really know all that much about each other, even though Hinata had been hanging around him persistently for the past couple of days. Every time Hinata made an attempt at a conversation, Kageyama would turn it back around on him, resulting in an argument that would tear his focus away from what he'd been trying to ask. 

Why _was_ that? Why did he do that?

Hinata wasn't really all that bad, but Kageyama couldn't seem to open up to him. Every time he saw him, he greeted the boy with a scowl or a glare, and whenever he said something that made Kageyama feel something other than annoyance, he called him a dumbass and ignored him.

_You know, I'm glad I got to meet you. You're a pretty good friend, Kageyama!_

His fingers cinched in his sheet as Kageyama turned to stare at the dark wall opposite his bed, which was cast in a faint silver sheen from the full moon outside the window. "I'm not a very good friend, am I, Hinata?" he murmured aloud, closing his eyes with a tired sigh. "Not a very good friend at all..."

*** * * * ***

"Kageyammmaaaa." A week later and there it was again: that annoyingly cheerful voice (and his daily wake-up call). It sounded exactly like it had in his dream. But what had that dream been about, exactly? He couldn't seem to remember. It was just out of his reach...

"Kageyama, you're going to be late to _schoooool_ ," Hinata sang loudly in his ear. "Come on, haven't you had enough of sleeping already? You're late almost every day now!"

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Kageyama stared sleepily up at the boy, brain struggling to place him for a moment with his orange mop of hair and sunshiney smile. He rolled over to avoid being blinded. "Didn't I tell you not to break into my house again, dumbass?" he muttered, burying his face in his pillow. "Let me sleep for a few more minutes..."

"But you're going to be _laaaate_!" Hinata whined persistently. Kageyama could feel him tugging at his blanket and pulled it back stubbornly, not about to give up his only source of warmth. 

"You're manifesting just to pull my blanket off? I said let me sleep. Training was tough yesterday."

"Whaa—?! All you did was _read_!" Hinata huffed exasperatedly. "It's only your second week of training and you're already complaining about being tired? You're never going to last with _that_ attitude! Also, your grades are going to slip if you're always late."

Kageyama could picture his puffed-up cheeks and annoyed expression but chose to ignore him anyway, pulling his blanket over his head in a gesture that clearly meant 'go away.' While Hinata was right—it was only his second week of training with Yachi—it was taking a huge toll on him, and if the boy persisted in trying to wake him, he just might have to kill him—well, _re_ -kill him.

Not only did he have to memorize all these stupid psychic terms, but he also had to get all his schoolwork done as well as attend volleyball practice. He had a lot on his plate and balancing it was becoming difficult, not to mention these strange dreams he'd been having. Every morning he'd wake up with a weird sensation in his chest, feeling like he'd had a nightmare but not being able to recall what he'd dreamt about. It was infuriating.

He also had _Hinata_ constantly following him around, too. Ever since he'd let him stay that first day, the boy had been his personal shadow. He tagged along with him wherever he went, peered over his shoulder when he was reading, cheered him on from the sidelines at volleyball practice, sat beside his desk while he was in class; and, without fail, woke him up every morning— _way_ too early, might he add.

Like today, for example.

"Kageyama, _really_ , you're going to be late if you don't get up now. I mean it!" When the 'you're going to be late' strategy didn't seem to work, Kageyama still burrowing under his blanket and fixedly ignoring him, Hinata switched gears. "Don't you have a test today? If you wake up now, you'll have some extra time to study."

His tone was persuasive and his words reasonable, and Kageyama groaned loudly, knowing he'd lost. " _Fine_ , I'm up."

As he trudged into the bathroom (fixedly ignoring Hinata) and began brushing his teeth irritably, Kageyama couldn't help but wonder if he would come to regret deciding to train with Yachi, and whether or not he could change his mind if he did...

*** * * * ***

After school, Kageyama made his way (extremely slowly and exhaustedly) towards Yachi's apartment, dragging his feet and yawning. He'd had two tests, had to read six chapters about some stupid emperor, and had almost fallen asleep twice. The only thing that kept him going was the promise that he would eventually reach his bed that night and finally be able to relax.

Of course, before that, he had to tackle his session with Yachi... Which would undoubtedly involve a ton of boring books and memorization that he just wasn't in the mood for. Definitely not something to look forward to, but it wasn't like he could get out of it. If he tried, he'd just end up with an earful from Hinata.

Sighing, his pace slowed even more as he mentally tried to prepare himself for the long evening ahead. He thought he was concealing his frustration extremely well, but apparently not, because Hinata dropped back next to him with a concerned frown. "Are you okay, Kageyama? Your face is all scrunched up." He pressed his cheeks together and wrinkled his nose in an unflattering impersonation that made Kageyama want to smack him a little.

He restrained himself and instead cleared the emotion from his face, pushing past the ginger with a scowl. "I'm just tired. Come on, hurry up or we'll be late." As Hinata squeaked and hurried after him, Kageyama bit his lip and stuck his hands in his deep sweatshirt pockets, staring up the street at Yachi's quickly-approaching apartment. He wasn't sure what exactly he regretted, but it was making him feel oddly depressed.

He'd gotten a low grade on his test earlier in the day because he'd fallen asleep in the middle and gotten disoriented. Psychic training along with volleyball practice and homework was absolutely exhausting him. Both his mind and body were running on fumes, and he felt like he may conk out at any second. Not to mention Hinata never ran out of energy, so that was another aspect wearing him down...

There were dark circles under his eyes and his brain had a fuzzy edge around it, like cotton. If he continued to push himself, he knew he'd end up hurting himself. While volleyball offered the threat of physical injuries, psychic work could end his life if he wasn't careful. It was a lot to handle, and Kageyama wasn't sure he could do it on his own.

"Kageyama...?" A hand closed around his wrist and Kageyama jerked, glancing around to see that he had walked a few steps past Yachi's door. Hinata's concerned golden eyes studied him, his pale hand still wrapped around Kageyama's arm, seeping cold into his skin. "You weren't responding and you walked past Yachi-san's door..." His grip tightened ever so slightly, sending a spike of ice through his arm.

He jerked away, gasping at the cold. "I-I'm fine," he breathed out, stuffing his hands back into his pockets to conceal his reaction. _What was that sudden spike? Why did he get colder all of a sudden?_ Kageyama felt himself shiver and shook his head with an irritated click of the tongue. Turning past an anxious Hinata, he buzzed in the code Yachi had given him to get in and stomped inside, trying to calm himself down.

With the spike of cold, he had suddenly gotten angrier, though he wasn't sure why. He tried to force it down, clenching his fists and relaxing them repeatedly to calm himself. It seemed to work, and he was back to normal by the time he reached Yachi's door. His mind back in focus, Kageyama remembered Hinata and glanced back to find him following—for once—silently behind.

Before he had any time to be concerned, however, Yachi had opened the door and was ushering them inside impatiently. "Kageyama-kun, Hinata-kun, it's about time you got here! We've got some big problems."

"Problems?" Kageyama asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "What kinds of _problems_?"

Yachi grinned, her eyes shining scarily—as they usually did when she was excited. "Don't worry, it's fun problems. Well, fun for us, at least." She started rummaging around in some cabinets, grabbing things and shoving them haphazardly into a black duffel bag she had clearly started packing before they arrived as it was already spilling odds and ends out onto the apartment floor.

She glanced back at Kageyama haltingly as she dumped a roll of gauze in unceremoniously. "I figured you'd be getting bored with all the memorization, so I was looking for a chance to take you out on the field.

"Lucky for us, there was an overflow nearby the train tracks. Since the threat-level is fairly low, I'll be taking you two along with me. The tactics I've taught you for dealing with spirits should be sufficient to deal with this, but remember to be alert. If anything seems off, call me over right away. You never know with yokai."

"Wait, are you serious?!" Hinata shouted, jumping up and down and giggling gleefully. "We _really_ get to come, too?"

Yachi glanced at him, dumping a long object wrapped in red cloth into the bag before cinching it closed to zip it. "Yep. But be careful, and do NOT"—she glared harshly between the two of them—"I repeat: NOT aggravate the spirits. Disperse them. Don't listen to them, don't even look at them if you can help it. Just _disperse them_."

"You got it!" Hinata cheered.

Kageyama rolled his eyes at the ginger's enthusiasm, nodding impassively. "Of course, Yachi-san. I'll make sure Hinata doesn't get us killed," he added, earning an offended exclamation from the boy. He punched Kageyama in the arm, though it was barely a tickle with his small fist. (Kageyama hated to admit it, but he was starting to feel better.)

Yachi smiled, ignoring their bickering. "Good. Let's get going, then!"

*** * * * ***

"This is bad; this is very, _very_ bad!" Hinata yelped as he dodged a swipe from a spirit with a wicked set of long black claws. He stumbled backward and Kageyama had to launch himself forward to protect the oblivious boy from another angry spirit who lunged at him from behind.

"Dammit, dumbass, watch your six!"

"M-my what?" Hinata stammered, managing to steady himself as Kageyama moved to stand beside him, wiping a fleck of blood from a cut on his left cheek. His breath stuttered through his chest as he struggled to catch it, eyes flying every which way, searching for Yachi in the panic of flailing spiritual energy.

_Dammit, how did things get this crazy?!_

He cursed aloud as another flailing black arm reached for them, slicing it in half with the silver staff in his left hand. Steam escaped the spirit as it screeched, dissolving into specks of dust. All around them were wavering miasmic forms, screeching and wailing. The train tracks were torn to shreds, and smoke and sparks trickled into the sky as dozens upon dozens of spirits surged forward in an impenetrable wall of black smoke.

When had everything gone to hell? When they'd arrived, there had only been about six or so ghosts, so when had so many more shown up? Yachi had said this wasn't going to be that dangerous. What the _hell_ had gone wrong?

"Kageyama, watch out!" Hinata's freezing body slammed into him, knocking Kageyama to the side in a rush of cold. Quickly moving the ginger off his chest, he frantically struck out, catching the spirit with his staff and disintegrating breath came in short gasps as he glanced down at Hinata, wide-eyed.

"T-thanks for that," he breathed shakily, stumbling to his feet.

Hinata stood up beside him, amber eyes shining with fear. "No problem..." His mouth turned downwards in a worried frown, hands cinching around the corner of his shirt—clearly, he was terrified. "Wh-where's Yachi-san? What d-do we do by ourselves, Kageyama?" His bottom lip trembled faintly. "I'm scared..."

Kageyama cursed silently to himself. He was panicked enough as is—he didn't need to deal with Hinata's nerves, too. "I don't know, but..." He grabbed the boy's shoulder, staring intently into his eyes and ignoring the brush of cold that flitted across his palm. "It'll be fine. We'll get out of this." His gaze hardened. "I swear." _I'll make sure nothing happens to you._

After a moment of shocked silence, Hinata's eyes sharpened and he nodded. "Okay. I trust you."

"Good." Kageyama turned to face the oncoming wave of dangerous spirits, his grip tightening on the silver staff—his only line of defense between the angry entities and Hinata and him. Pulling his sweatshirt over his head and tossing it to the side to rid himself of the extra bulk, he gritted his teeth, gaze focusing on the line of black fast approaching. "Okay. Let's do this."


	6. Overflow

"There— there are too many," Kageyama panted, jumping back to avoid a lunging ghost. His white shirt was torn and dusted with dirt and dust, his silver staff flecked with bits of spirit matter and condensed water. His body was aching and covered in cuts and bruises, and his stamina was nearing its limits.

They had yet to find Yachi in the mess of the overflow, and the ghosts just kept coming. It seemed there was no end to them. Not to mention the fact that Hinata could be hurt by these things, too. Before, Kageyama had reacted and saved Hinata out of instinct, even though he knew ghosts couldn't get hurt—well, he'd _thought_ , anyway. But no; these spirits could hurt Hinata just as much as Kageyama, so he had _two_ people to worry about instead of one. _Great._

"Kageyama, there's more coming!" Hinata cried in a panicked voice, pointing across the tracks to the edge of a forest—a very _familiar_ forest. From within its tangled green depths, black forms crept, eyes of various colors shining sinisterly in the darkness. Kageyama cursed, stabbing another spirit through the chest as it got too close for comfort.

"Dammit! We can't handle this on our own!"

"Ah!" Hinata yelped as a black tendril scraped across his left side, leaving a cut which steamed and oozed blood. Kageyama darted forward and took out the thing before it could strike again, gasping for air now. His lungs were strained and his muscles felt like they would give out any second, but Hinata had no way to defend himself if he went down. He had to keep fighting.

But there were _so many_. Black invaded every corner of Kageyama's vision, the only color difference the bright orange of Hinata's hair and the glimmering silver staff in his hand. He couldn't keep this up for long, and although he could hear her fighting off in the distance, he couldn't spot Yachi's tell-tale blonde hair anywhere among the mass of spiritual energy surrounding them.

They were completely alone unless they could clear a path to her.

"Kageyama, your right!" Hinata screamed out. Kageyama had just enough time to lunge into a kneel and slam the silver into the ghost's chest, vaporizing it before it could stick its hand through his chest. Drops of water sprayed his face and he gasped, falling to his knees as he felt his legs trembling. 

_No... My body's giving out already?!_

"Hinata," he rasped, glancing back at his companion hollowly. "I can't... stand up..."

"You..." Hinata's eyes shone with tears as his face crumpled. "You— you have to." He furiously scrubbed at his face, but the boy couldn't seem to stop crying. "This wasn't supposed to happen! It was supposed to be safe..." He gazed down at Kageyama, tears racing down his pale cheeks, face broken— _hopeless_. "Why?" His voice cracked. "Why did it have to be like this?"

"No..." _You know, I'm glad I got to meet you._ "No." _You're a pretty good friend, Kageyama!_ "No, dammit!" Kageyama's fist smacked into the concrete so hard it cracked. Blood ran down his knuckles as he clenched his fist, but he didn't care. Red splattered against the ground. "I'm not giving up yet," he growled, pushing himself up with renewed strength.

Ripping a strip of fabric from his shirt, Kageyama used it to bind his bleeding hand, tying it in a tight knot and cinching it with his teeth. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he turned to the line of approaching ghosts with fire in his dark eyes. "Let's fight!"

He couldn't give up. He was strong and he could get through this. So what if he was a novice? So what if Yachi had been wrong about this? The only thing that mattered now was saving himself and Hinata. He wasn't going to die here. He had to live, if not to kick Yachi's blonde ass for dragging him into this.

*** * * * ***

Launching himself at the nearest ghost, Kageyama struck out, shredding it to pieces. They had been fighting for so long, the sun was beginning to set now, painting the horizon with lovely shades of orange. Kageyama didn't pay attention to that, focusing on the obstacle in front of him. As long as he still had breath, he would protect Hin—

"KAGEYAMA, HINATA!"

Kageyama's head jerked around so fast he thought his neck might snap. _Is that..._ A few feet away, the wall of black wavered and exploded into a blast of steam that blew Kageyama's hair away from his face and stung his eyes. Through this ghostly fog, a lone figure approached, blonde hair tied back and clothes dirty and shredded: _Yachi?_

Another spirit lunged at her and she soundlessly swung outward, dispersing it without so much as glancing that direction. Her eyes shone with a fire different from her excited shimmer: the fire of determination and anger. She was _furious_. Kageyama could only watch as she stopped in front of him, utterly stunned. He'd never seen her like this before.

"The overflow is worse than I thought," she intoned quietly as a greeting, brushing stray strands of hair out of her face and flicking droplets of water from her silver knife. "I can't believe I dragged two novices into this." She glanced between them, eyes brimming with anger—not at them, but at _herself_. "I don't have time to be sorry right now, but feel free to scold me later."

She turned to address the line of approaching black, which had closed up once again and was creeping towards them, black arms extending, reaching out searchingly. "This wall is too big for us to kill the spirits one by one. We need to take them all out at once."

"Are you _insane_?" Kageyama asked, snapping out of his daze. He took a step forward, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Yachi-san, these spirits almost overpowered all three of us. How can we possibly take them all on at once? There's no possible way—"

She cut him off with a sharp look. "There's _always_ a way. I have an idea, but we'll need to get _his_ attention first..."

"His... What?" Kageyama studied her confusedly. "Who?"

"You'll see," Yachi answered distractedly, already jolting into motion. "Cover me, would you?"

"What— _Ack_!" Kageyama hurried after her, stabbing several spirits as they tried to grab her. With growing horror, Kageyama realized she was running straight at the wall of black, unwavering. He wanted to stop her, to call her insane again, but she said she had a plan, so... He had to trust her. Though he _really_ hoped she knew what she was doing...

"Kageyama; nine, three!" she yelled, picking up speed. Brain catching up with his ears, Kageyama blindly reached out. Yachi chucked her knife at him and he caught it, striking out at both sides with the staff and the knife, dispersing the spirits there in puffs of steam. Yachi gritted her teeth, coming to a hard stop. "It's now or never..." she muttered to herself.

Raising her hands, she slapped them together, braced herself, and pushed outward. A huge blast of blue energy went off, sending Kageyama flying, blinded by the light as he landed hard on his back, the breath knocked out of him. When he looked up, the wall of spirits was completely torn apart in the center, and before Kageyama could fully comprehend what had just happened, Yachi had sped through the already closing gap and disappeared on the other side.

"Shit." Kageyama scrambled to his feet, springing backward as the spirits surged forth once more, closing off the gap to the other side as quickly as it had formed and leaving Kageyama alone. " _Shit_ ," he repeated, turning tail and making a mad dash for his previous spot, which was a much safer place to launch a counterattack until Yachi came back— _if_ she came back.

Hinata had remained there, watching the whole ordeal in shock: What had seemed like hours to Kageyama must've really only been a few seconds.

Kageyama locked eyes with the boy, and the world seemed to fade into slow motion, just like it had when they first met. The sun reflected in Hinata's eyes and his hair exploded brilliantly with the added light; Broken pieces of concrete crunched under Kageyama's boots as he ran; ghosts screeched behind him. His eyes caught a subtle shift and moved to stare over Hinata's shoulder: A black hand reached for him from behind.

_No._ He mouthed the words, unable to speak; to shout a warning. His chest clenched painfully. Too fast. It was happening too fast. He couldn't stop it. His arm raised, prepped to throw the knife he held—the only thing he could think of to do, to _help_ —but he wavered. If he missed, he would hit Hinata, and he would... he would just... disappear. _No no no._ "HINA—"

A boom shook the earth and Kageyama was once again on the ground, only registering the change when gravel dug into his cheek with a sting of pain. A gasp slipped from between his lips and he coughed, dust clouding his vision and his body aching from the fall. Something wet splattered against his face, then his arm, then _everywhere_ : a downpour out of nowhere.

And just like that, it was all over.

*** * * * ***

A startled pair of amber eyes flashed through Kageyama's mind and he jerked. "Hinata!" He was on his feet in an instant, gaze snapping to the spot where the ginger had stood. His breath flooded out of him and his shoulder slumped in relief. He was... _fine_. He looked a little rattled, but he was still in one piece, gaze directed over Kageyama's shoulder, eyes wide.

Confused, Kageyama traced his line of sight and his mouth dropped open. Mysterious black scorch marks littered the now-soaked ground and there was no sign of the wall of malignant energy anymore: It was almost like it had never been there at all. Three people stood at the other side of the road, surrounded by a thick covering of steam.

Yachi stood in the middle, fists clenched at her sides. Beside her the two newcomers hovered, glancing over to meet Kageyama's gaze. The one on the left was tall, with spikes of light blond hair—lighter even than Yachi's—and intense amber eyes which glowed at him from a sharp face. The other was shorter, a brunette boy with a freckled face and timid hazel eyes that glowed just like the blond's.

Kageyama stumbled to his feet, gaping at the three of them. _Where did they come from?_ He was glad to see Yachi was safe, but where on earth had she found these two, and why did they look so... otherworldly? He'd thought it was a trick of the light, but their eyes were _definitely_ glowing. "What in the hell..."

"Hinata-kun, Kageyama-kun!" Yachi waved at them excitedly, departing from the two strangers to run over to them. "I'm so glad you two are okay!" She tackled Kageyama in a hug, nearly knocking him over, and he patted her back awkwardly. 

"Um, yeah, we're fine..." He eased her away from him, uncomfortable with the contact. "But, uh, who are those guys?" He pointed over her shoulder beseechingly.

"Oh, them." Yachi turned to smile at the two boys sheepishly. "Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, come here for a second!"

As the two crossed over to them, Hinata hid behind Kageyama uncertainly, wringing the fabric of his blue sweatshirt nervously. Kageyama unconsciously shifted to shield him as the two figures came to a stop beside Yachi, the blond one placing a hand on his hip and raising an eyebrow, seeming disinterested while the freckled one fidgeted shyly.

"Kageyama, Hinata, this is Tsukishima, and this is Yamaguchi," Yachi introduced, gesturing first at the blond—Tsukishima—and then the brunet—Yamaguchi. "I think I mentioned them before when we were with Suga-san." She smiled slightly. "Tsukishima is a rain spirit and Yamaguchi is the protective spirit of a nearby house."

"So _you_ caused this rain?" Hinata piped up timidly, peeking out from behind Kageyama and pointing up at the sky, which was now gray and covered with dark clouds. 

There was a distant boom of thunder and Hinata jumped as Tsukishima nodded. "Yes. I also caused the lightning that saved your pathetic asses."

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi squeaked, hitting the other boy on the shoulder. "That's not nice!"

Yachi giggled at the exchange. "Hey, they act just like you two!"

"What?" Kageyama glared at her defensively. "We don't act like that!" He huffed, feeling annoyed instead of relieved now. "I can't _believe_ you dragged us into this, Yachi-san. We almost died _several_ times. Hinata would be a goner if he wasn't already dead."

" _Heeeyyy_ ," Hinata whined irritably, smacking Kageyama on the arm with a pout. "You're so mean, Bakageyama!"

"I'm sorry..." Yachi murmured, ignoring Hinata's childish complaints. She looked at the ground, kicking her feet ashamedly. "I really had no idea this overflow would be so malignant... I'm sincerely sorry for dragging you two into the middle of it." She bowed low, clasping her hands together with perhaps a _bit_ too much theatricality. "Please forgive me!"

Kageyama scoffed, embarrassed by her display. Sure, he'd wanted to make her feel a _little_ guilty, but this was too much. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Stop bowing already."

"Of course we forgive you, Yachi-san!" Hinata yelled over him, clasping his hands together. Kageyama once again resisted the urge to strangle him—something he found himself having to do more and more these days. 

Taking a measured breath, he instead turned his attention back to Yachi. "But it was very dangerous, Yachi-san. Anything could've happened."

"I know," Yachi intoned miserably. "I'm so sorry..." She looked down sadly. "I _completely_ understand if you want to give up training with me after this, Kageyama-kun..." She glanced away, biting her lip. "I would probably do the same in your shoes..."

She had a point. Any sane person would resign right then. _But..._

Kageyama did something then that shocked even himself: He laughed. It bubbled up out of him, escaping in loud peals that didn't fit with the grim atmosphere at all, but he couldn't seem to stop. He'd never laughed this hard in his life, even though there really wasn't all that much funny about their situation. He just found it oddly hilarious how close they'd all come to dying. How lucky _were_ they?

Finally, he managed to calm down, wiping his watering eyes and coughing a bit as he tried to catch his breath. "Oh, God, sorry about that." He felt almost... _giddy_ after that. His eyes were bright when he met Yachi's startled gaze. "Are you kidding? I definitely won't quit. After all that, I'd be an idiot to try." He grinned. "Besides, it's kind of thrilling, isn't it?"

Everyone stared at him like he had grown another head. All except for Yachi, who giggled into her hand. "Oh, so you feel that way too, Kageyama-kun?" She waved her hand with a dismissive smile. "What a relief. Well, we can continue your training tomorrow then." She grabbed him by the arm and started back the way they had come, once more cheerful and unconcerned. "But I do have some notes after watching you fight. You don't guard your weak spots at all! It leaves you open."

Kageyama nodded dutifully. "Okay, I'll work on it."

Meanwhile, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Hinata watched them with chagrined expressions. "They're so weird..." Yamaguchi murmured, shivering, almost like the pair scared him. Tsukishima let out a long sigh and shook his head as if exhausted by the situation. "Freaks. Whatever, let's go." He grabbed Yamaguchi by the collar and turned, but paused to glance back at Hinata.

"Hey, carrot-top." His amber eyes narrowed ever so slightly when Hinata met his gaze inquisitively. "Watch your back and stick with that dark-haired bastard. A naïve idiot like you won't survive what's coming without a powerful friend."

"What's coming...?" Hinata's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you m—" But when he glanced up, Tsukishima was already gone, leaving only empty air, dark rain, and his unanswered question behind.


	7. With Time

As time passed, Kageyama began to enjoy his psychic training. School became less worrisome as they approached the end half of the year and volleyball practice was much easier after his workouts in the field—if you could call running for his life a workout. Hinata even started to become less annoying, though only marginally. (He still woke him up way too early and wouldn't leave him alone, but it was becoming manageable.)

Speaking of Hinata... "Kageyama, what are you reading?"

Startled by the voice, he glanced up at the ginger perched beside him, currently resting his elbows on the table and peering over Kageyama's shoulder curiously. "It's a list of spiritual terms," he answered, turning back to the book where his finger marked the page.

Hinata simply hummed at the answer, shifting to get a better view of the book. "Is it interesting?"

"Mmm, not really." He flipped the page with a tired sigh, glancing over at Hinata again. His brown eyes moved across the page quickly as he silently mouthed the words to himself, brows furrowed in concentration. Kageyama snorted quietly in amusement and turned back to the reading, shaking his head with a tiny smile. Hinata really was something else. In the past month, he'd insisted on training alongside Kageyama even though he couldn't really do everything that a living person could.

It was almost endearing, in a sense. Kageyama could appreciate his determination—after all, it was almost exactly like his whenever he was working towards something. Of course, he was still a _huge_ pain in the ass, but... Kageyama was starting to like him. Only a little, and of course he would _never_ admit that to anyone, but _maybe_ he wasn't so bad, after all.

"Kageyama, Hinata!" Both boys looked up at the sudden exclamation to see Yachi standing in the doorway, breathless. Her eyes were shining with excitement and she looked about ready to scream, which was both worrying and intriguing. "Guys, guys, guys, you'll never guess what just happened!"

"What?" Kageyama asked, raising an eyebrow. "You seem... _excited_."

"I am!" The blonde giggled gleefully, prancing over and slamming her palms down on the table with gusto, nearly knocking over the tea Kageyama had been drinking. "I just talked with my mom, and I asked her if you could help out in her shop, Kageyama. I figured it would be good training for you, and my mom has been wanting to meet you for a while, so I figured this would be a great chance to kill two birds with one stone!"

"Wait, wait, _wait_." Kageyama held up his hands to stop her typical rapid-fire speech. "Hold on just a minute. Your mother's shop? Are you serious?" Yachi's mother ran a curio shop a few blocks away that specialized in spiritual items and psychic consultation. Yachi worked there weekdays after school and Kageyama and Hinata had often gone there to walk back with her for training, though her mother had been there on none of those occasions.

Yachi nodded happily. "Mmm-hmm! She even said she'd pay you, too!" She clasped her hands together, barely able to contain her excitement. "Isn't that great? What a fantastic way for you to learn. It'll be much quicker than reading all these thick books. Just like field work, but safe!" She scratched her cheek sheepishly, pausing for a moment to finally take a breath. "Ah, well, you'll still have to memorize, but... at least you'll be learning at a faster pace!"

Kageyama's face morphed into a frown, brain still struggling to catch up to the words that had just been spit at him at Mach-20. "Yachi-san, are you sure about this?" he asked eventually. "I don't think I'm experienced enough to be helping in a psychic's shop." (Kageyama felt a little odd using the honorific considering Yachi had told him to drop it after they got to know each other, but it felt wrong without it considering she was his teacher.)

"Oh, trust me, it'll be _fine_ ," Yachi dismissed with a note of finality. "In fact, my mother said to head over now. She's very excited to meet you: both of you, in fact." She smiled and drifted towards the door—a not-so-discreet message for them to get their asses in gear. " _So_ gather some books, Kageyama, and we can head right on over!"

*** * * * ***

Yachi's mother's shop, The Winter Tome, was a fairly big place, taking up a large portion of gray sidewalk in the middle of bustling downtown Natori, but it didn't seem that way on the inside. Shelves crowded the space, cramped bookshelves full-to-bursting with old foreign texts lining the faded, oriental-patterned walls while random odds-and-ends were shoved into corners, ranging from ornate potion racks to full suits of armor.

The whole place smelled of musty book pages and spices, and the air was clouded with smoke from jasmine incense sticks placed haphazardly around the shop. The whole atmosphere was very occult indeed, and the patrons only added to the image. When Yachi, Hinata, and Kageyama arrived, a few people were browsing the shop, perusing the proffered oddities with interest. Most of them were strange-looking—in fact, one was even wearing a long sweeping black cloak and a witch's hat, like they'd jumped straight out of a fantasy novel.

Yachi led Kageyama and Hinata through the clutter of objects and people towards the back wall, easily transversing the mess while Kageyama struggled to get around the stacks and Hinata simply walked through them, snickering at his companion's poor coordination. Kageyama shot him a glare, stopping behind Yachi as she paused to open a door. Luckily, the room on the other side was much less crowded and there was plenty of space to move around.

The only furniture in the room was an old leather couch with several holes where stuffing poked through, a few sparse oak bookshelves, and an old grandfather clock which stood in the far corner of the small room, ticking away the seconds quietly. There was also a small crooked table in the center of the room with four chairs, and in one of these, a woman sat reading a book.

Her posture was perfect; almost like a queen, back straight and legs crossed while her eyes traveled across the text. A curtain of light caramel hair fell softly against her left shoulder and her eyes were nearly the exact shade of Yachi's. Kageyama could see a clear resemblance between them: This was no doubt Yachi's mother.

When she heard their arrival, the woman looked up and smiled at them, bookmarking her page and rising to greet them. Kageyama was a bit nervous to be meeting her, but she wasted no time with formalities, pulling him into a quick hug before doing the same to Hinata, who (just like Kageyama) seemed surprised that she could touch him. "You must be Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shōyō! Hitoka-chan has told me so much about you both."

Kageyama coughed awkwardly, still shaken from the hug. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Yachi."

"Oh, _please_ , call me Madoka," the woman insisted with a friendly smile. "No one's called me Mrs. Yachi in years!"

"Er... Madoka, then." Kageyama cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. He had been hoping Yachi's mother would be more on the normal side, but she was almost exactly like her daughter personality-wise. Though he supposed he should be used to it after meeting some of the people he knew...

_Whatever._ Shaking his head, Kageyama asked the question he'd been holding onto. "Are you sure it's alright for me to work in your shop?"

"Of course, silly boy!" Madoka giggled girlishly, as if Kageyama had told a funny joke. "I've already made all the arrangements, and of course, I _really_ need the help." She suddenly jumped, eyes lighting up as she held up a fist in an 'Aha!' gesture that nearly scared Kageyama out of his skin. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Turning on her heel, she hurried over to a small antique chest he hadn't noticed before, throwing it open and rummaging around inside.

She looked exactly like Yachi did whenever she was looking for something, and Kageyama couldn't help but smile as he made the comparison. They really _were_ very alike, weren't they? The saying 'like mother, like daughter' fit them perfectly, he thought. Yachi Madoka also muttered to herself as she searched, just like their blonde friend always did.

When she finally found what she was looking for, she let out a comical triumphant shout and spun around, brandishing a plastic bag which she too-enthusiastically shoved into a startled Kageyama's waiting hands.

"What... is it?" he asked lamely after a moment of studying it, glancing up at the woman feebly for an answer.

In response to his question, she snatched the bag from his hands and dumped its contents across the surface of the table—after pushing some papers aside to make room and cursing as she knocked over a few books onto the floor. Kageyama found himself looking at a plain white dress shirt and black pants, along with a dark green apron bearing what he assumed to be the shop's emblem: an open book with a ghost jumping up out of the pages.

At his confused expression, Madoka rolled her eyes and exclaimed happily, "It's your uniform, silly! Isn't it cute?" She turned to address Hinata with a slight frown, attention shifting just as fast as Yachi's did—yet another thing that made them similar. "I wanted to make one for you, too, but I was out of Spiritcloth, so I couldn't." She pouted childishly, just like Hinata often did. "What a shame. You would've looked _so_ adorable in it!"

"Um..." The targeted boy laughed nervously, blushing a light shade of pink. "Thank you...?"

" _Mommmm_ ," Yachi whined, "you're being embarrassing again!"

Madoka laughed lightly, covering her mouth with a delicate, pale hand. "Sorry, Hitoka-chan, I just got excited!" She looked up and her eyes were suddenly sharp and serious: Almost like the look Yachi had worn back when they were fighting that horde of ghosts: unnerving but determined. "Alright, then. Let's get started, shall we?"

*** * * * ***

"Gah, I'm _exhausted_." Kageyama collapsed back onto the old, patchy leather couch, slinging an arm over his eyes with a groan. He had been at the shop all day shadowing Yachi's mother as she taught him everything from ringing up customers to taking stock and locking up at night. He thought she might've gone a _bit_ overboard for just his first day, but at least he'd stayed occupied. It hadn't been so bad, really.

Yachi smiled sympathetically at him from where she was placing old books on a shelf. "Sorry we worked you so hard your first day, Kageyama. You can go home now if you want. I'll close up."

"Are you sure?" Kageyama asked guiltily, removing his arm from over his eyes to look over at her. "I don't want to make you do everything by yourself..."

"I'm sure," Yachi reassured, waving a hand at him in a clear 'go on' gesture. "I'm fine here, so go home." She turned to glance over at Hinata, who was visible through the open door, laying on the floor in the front portion of the shop and tracing shapes in the dust on the floor. She smiled amusedly, propping her chin in her hand. "Hinata will go with you. I can tell he wants to get out of here."

Kageyama sighed, slouching into a standing position and stretching, wincing as his sore muscles popped in protest. "Alright, I'll go." He turned to wave at her when he reached the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." After she had waved back, he turned and headed over to Hinata, crouching down beside him. "Oi, dumbass, get up. We're leaving."

"Yay!" Hinata pushed himself upright with a bright smile, shot full of energy once more. "This place creeps me out."

"You don't _have_ to hang around here," Kageyama told him irritably as they exited the shop, stepping out into a light, cold rain. The sky had become cloudy and gray, the air cold and humid "If you find it so creepy, then just... go do whatever you do when you're not with me." He paused and turned to stare at the ginger suspiciously. "You _do_ do stuff when you're not with me... _right_?"

"O-of course I do!" Hinata spluttered, turning away with a small pout. "For your information, I've been working on my ghost abilities. Yachi-san gave me this really cool book to read that has a ton of awesome stuff in it. I've been practicing every night at my—" He cut himself off abruptly, biting his tongue mid-sentence and glancing at the ground.

Kageyama studied him with an annoyed glower. "Hey, what were you about to say?"

"N-nothing!" Hinata said quickly, quickening his pace.

Kageyama hurried to catch up with him, wearing an irritated scowl. "Slow down, dumbass. Tell me what you were gonna say! I _hate_ it when people hide things from me." (It was true. Once, Kageyama's parents had tried to throw a surprise party for him, and when he'd opened the door to his house, he'd punched his father right in the face.)

But however stubborn Kageyama was, Hinata was worse, and he didn't budge on the topic, shooting a petulant glare his way. "I'm not telling you! It's none of your business, Bakageyama!"

" _Fine_! Go on without me, then." Kageyama slowed to a walk, crossing his arms and scowling at the sidewalk. Hinata was such a _child_ sometimes, pouting and whining like a 5-year-old. Then again, he wasn't sure why he was making such a big deal out of it. Sure, he hated secrets, but it really _wasn't_ his business, so he should've just dropped it. But it was just so _irritating_ for some reason.

Though he hated to admit it, Kageyama maybe _sort of_ wanted to be friends with Hinata, but the boy made it so _difficult_! He had acted like Kageyama's friend from the beginning, of course, but to act the same towards him was a constant challenge. He had never been a people person, and Hinata's bright, vibrant personality made it even worse for him to drop the annoyed act and get along with him. _He_ was the one acting like a child.

"Kageyama." Hinata's voice broke him out of his thoughts and Kageyama turned to him sharply, startled to find that he was right next to him. 

" _What_?" He didn't mean to snap, but it wasn't like he could take it back now.

Hinata cringed and looked away, fidgeting with the hem of his sweatshirt with obvious anxiety. "I— I'm sorry I was mean to you..." 

Kageyama gaped at him, startled by the apology. _What is he, an elementary schooler?!_ He growled. _Dammit, he's just making me feel even guiltier!_

Hinata continued on, oblivious to his companion's chagrin. "I just don't like telling people a lot about me, so that's why I was acting all defensive..."

_So he was about to tell me something personal,_ Kageyama realized with a jolt, glancing over at the ginger beside him, forgetting his earlier thoughts. Hinata still wouldn't meet his eyes, staring fixedly at the ground in front of him as he walked. Noticing his obvious discomfort, Kageyama—without thinking—blurted out, "It's fine. I'm sorry. I was being a jerk. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He'd never been this nice to anyone. It felt funny.

But it was worth it when Hinata laughed, face softening into a bright, easy smile, immediately easing the tense atmosphere. "I've never heard an apology from you before, Kageyama!" At Kageyama's scoff, the boy laughed even more, the sound loud and joyful in the dreary rain-filled night. "You know, maybe I'll tell you about it some time," he added in a more serious tone, though the smile still remained. "I _did_ tell you I trust you, remember?"

Kageyama felt a tingling sensation in his chest, like someone running a feather along his rib-cage. He shuddered, attempting to hide it by burying his hands in his jacket pockets. "Well, yeah... I thought you were joking."

"Nope!" Hinata beamed. "I really do trust you, Kageyama!" He danced ahead a few steps with a giggle. "So I _will_ tell you all about me someday! That's a promise!" With a small, lively smile, he waved goodbye. "See you tomorrow!" And just like he had the first day they met, Hinata disappeared in a swirl of wind and leaves, leaving Kageyama standing alone in the rain, heartbeat in his ears as he began the long trek home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to everyone leaving comments! It inspires me to keep writing for this so I really appreciate it ^-^ Please know that I do read all the reviews left on my stories and I truly appreciate them, so thank you all
> 
> As always, feel free to leave comments, corrections, and suggestions down in the comment section. Also, I have a question for you guys: One of my big problems as a writer is that I feel I tend to rush scenes a little. I'm trying to improve this by going back and adding more details after I've finished the chapter, so please tell me what you guys think after each update.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter lovelies~ c:


	8. Growing Bonds

"Kageyama, I'm bored." Hinata flipped onto his stomach, gazing up at Kageyama where he sat at the counter, reading a book. The dark-haired boy spared a glance the ghost's way but otherwise said nothing, the rustling of paper filling the air as he turned the page. Hinata, however, persisted, flipping himself to a sitting position with a pout. " _Kageyaaammmaaa_."

"I'm busy," Kageyama told him shortly, turning another page, though he really wasn't reading it anymore. Instead, he watched Hinata's reaction from the corner of his eye.

The boy puffed out his cheeks childishly with an irritated huff. "Kageyama, you're so _mean_! I want to do something fun!"

" _This_ is fun, shrimp," he replied, hiding a smirk behind his hand as he turned the page again. He'd been playing with a plethora of different nicknames for Hinata, deciding to deviate from his usual selection, which was restricted to 'idiot' and 'dumbass.' So far, 'shrimp' seemed to warrant the funniest response.

Just as Kageyama predicted, Hinata squeezed his eyes shut and wailed petulantly, " _Kageyaammmmaaa_ , quit teasing me! I told you not to call me shrimp!" For some reason, he didn't get mad like he did with most of the other nicknames, but instead embarrassed. Kageyama guessed someone had called him it before as an insult—he _was_ pretty shrimpy, after all. Nevertheless, it was hilarious messing with him like this. He just made it _too_ easy.

He wasn't a _complete_ sadist, though, so he closed his book and turned his attention to Hinata with a placating smile. "Okay, I'm sorry. What do you want to do?"

Hinata seemed startled by the apology and the question, as if he hadn't actually been expecting him to agree to do something else in the first place. Kageyama couldn't help but laugh a little at how impulsive he was. "Oh, um..." He paused, thinking it over for a moment with a frustrated expression. "Hmmm... Oh!" He popped up from his spot on the floor faster than a jack-in-the-box with an excited smile. "I got it, I got it! Let's go out and dispel some yokai!"

Kageyama rolled his eyes. "Why are you so happy saying that? It's weird. And besides, we can't do that without Yachi, and she's off in Shinogama all day today." Honestly, Hinata had the common sense of a toddler. After their experience a few months ago at the railroad crossing, you'd think the boy wouldn't want to go anywhere near a yokai ever again, but unfortunately, that wasn't at all the case.

In fact, Hinata seemed very persistent that they go as he shot Kageyama his signature puppy-dog look. " _Pleaaasseee_ , Kageyama? Yachi told me there were a few low-level ones close by that she was too busy to take care of, so why don't we do it for her? I'm sure she would appreciate it!" He stuck out his bottom lip. "Come on, it will be _easy_!"

"God, _okay_. Just stop making that stupid face already." Kageyama pushed him back by the cheek and stood, ignoring the ginger's annoyed huff and unknotting the green apron from around his waist. He slung it over the back of his vacated chair and stretched, glancing through the open back-room door to see Yachi's mother, Madoka, sitting behind the counter, reading a fashion magazine.

"Madoka-san, is it alright if we go out for a while?" he called back to her. The woman didn't even look up, waving her hand at them lazily. "Go ahead! It's dead around here, anyway." She glanced at them with a sly smile and a slight giggle. "The day is young, and so are you! You boys go and have some fun."

"Ah... Okay?" Kageyama said cautiously, slightly unnerved by her impish facial expression. Did she know something he didn't? Was she going to dock his pay for leaving and was having a laugh about it? But... she didn't seem like the type that would do that, so what then...?

_Gah, whatever._ Grabbing his jacket from the rack by the door, Kageyama pushed open the door with a sigh. "Come on, Hinata. Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

"Coming!" The ginger boy ducked under his arm and they headed off into the humid August air.

*** * * * ***

"Gah, it just _had_ to be water, didn't it?" Kageyama muttered irritably, pressing his back against a tree and wiping condensation from his face. Across the park's gravel pathway, he could see Hinata ducking down behind an old decorative stone well—just in time to avoid a stream of water that was blasted right above his head.

The source of the wet projectiles was a woman wearing a faded gray kimono and wielding a red paper umbrella like a club. Curtains of black hair fell around her shoulders like streams of oil and her pale face was twisted into an angry scowl—Kageyama recognized her as an _Ameonna_ ; a rain-making spirit.

Usually, they were peaceful and friendly, but this one... really _wasn't_. She screeched at them like a banshee and shot another pressurized ball of water Hinata's way. It struck the side of the stone well with so much force it broke the facade, reducing the ginger's hiding spot to a useless pile of brick fragments and dust.

"Fuck." Kageyama clicked his tongue, closing his eyes for a moment, knowing he would regret what he was about to do. But oh well. He'd never really been one for thinking things through, anyway. What was the point in starting now? " _Fuck_ ," he said again, exhaling deeply before pushing himself away from the safety of the sturdy tree trunk and sprinting towards Hinata, screaming insults to catch the ghost woman's attention.

It worked. She turned and focused all her efforts on him, chucking balls of water with so much force, Kageyama was sure they could take his head off if aimed right—or at the very least give him a nasty bruise. But it did give Hinata time to get out of her line of sight, which had been Kageyama's main goal. With the _Ameonna_ distracted, he had a good opening to strike.

"Take that!" Popping out of a bush from behind, Hinata smacked a paper on the back of the woman's kimono, springing out of the way as she turned on him with an angry screech. The paper—a paralysis talisman—burned into the cloth, leaving a steaming black mark on the fabric, completely restricting the ghost's movements. She howled frantically when she realized her predicament, but the talisman held strong, keeping her fixed in place.

Kageyama's body relaxed, relieved now that watery balls of death were no longer flying at him at Mach-20. "Nice going, Hinata." He walked over, still trying to catch his breath, and stood beside the shorter boy, hands on his hips. "I guess we should dispel her now."

Hinata hesitated. "Do... we have to?" He shifted from foot to foot, shooting the woman a sympathetic look as she struggled weakly under the talisman's strong influence. "I mean, rain spirits are usually nice, so maybe something bad happened to her that made her act this way..." He looked up at Kageyama, eyes shining earnestly. "I think we should try to help her."

"Ugh..." Kageyama sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. He looked from Hinata's hopeful face to the _Ameonna_ 's miserable expression and groaned. _Damn Hinata and his stupid sympathy._ "Fine." He crossed his arms sternly. "But just remember: If anything bad happens to us, this was _your_ idea."

*** * * * ***

"You see what happens when we try to _help_ people?" Kageyama shot Hinata a pointed look from where he was hanging upside-down by his ankles from a bridge, dangling precariously over a 20-foot drop into the dark, fast-running water. Hinata himself was tied to a tree on the bank, the _Ameonna_ 's kimono ribbon wrapped several times around his chest.

He shot Kageyama a dirty look, nose scrunching up angrily. "You don't have to tell me that!"

"On the contrary, I _do_ ," Kageyama shot back indignantly. "And I'll _keep_ telling you until all the blood in my body isn't _rushing to my head_!" He was seriously starting to feel like he was going to pass out, and the only thing holding him up was his ankles hooked against the bridge's stone railing, so he'd prefer to stay conscious. How had they gotten into this situation, anyway?

They'd figured out where the _Ameonna_ lived and taken her there, and then... Kageyama had suddenly been yanked off his feet while they were standing on the bridge and thrown over the edge, barely managing to catch himself with his ankles—a feat he would've been proud of... if his arm hadn't gotten wedged in a crevice on the side of the bridge, keeping him stuck upside-down. (Thinking back on it, Kageyama figured the paralysis talisman must've weakened on the walk, enough for her to break free.)

After that, everything became a little hazy, but Hinata had somehow managed to get himself tied up and now Kageyama had nobody to help him. He felt dizzy and his legs ached from holding him up. His arm was stuck at an odd angle, pulling painfully against his shoulder, but if he tried to pull it free, his ankles would most likely come loose and he'd end up with much worse than a little nausea.

He knew he had to figure something out quick, though, because Hinata was having a hard time getting out of the tight ribbon, and the _Ameonna_ was nowhere to be seen, which definitely wasn't a good sign. "Hinata, just..." He cursed, for once unsure what to do. "Just... try and get out of there, okay? I'm going to see if I can get my arm free."

"O-okay," Hinata replied uncertainly. He caught his lip between his teeth, glancing up at Kageyama with an unreadable expression. Eventually, his gaze hardened into a determined stare. "I'll try my best!" He paused, offering Kageyama a bright smile. "We'll be fine. I'll come meet you when I'm free."

Brushing off his momentary shock, Kageyama turned his attention back to the problem at hand, taking a shaky breath. His arm was only stuck a few inches in, his wrist mostly free while his forearm was wedged in pretty solidly. His ankles were holding up fairly well, but he wasn't sure how long he could keep himself up with just that small amount of strength. _So I'll have to work quickly then._

Exhaling to steady his nerves, Kageyama strained his body to the left, moving his body to partially face his trapped arm. His right ankle was barely gripping the railing in this position, but his left seemed to be sturdy enough, so Kageyama focused on getting his arm free. The rock inside the crevice was slightly damp from water condensation, so he might be able to slide it out if he got enough friction. Of course, to do _that_ would require a great deal of movement, and that could cause him to lose his grip and...

_No._ Kageyama shook his head. "I have to stay positive."

_We'll be fine,_ Hinata had said. For now, he had to believe it. After all, Kageyama had seen his fair share of danger the past month: This was nothing he couldn't handle. Besides, depending on how he looked at it, the situation was almost comical. He was hanging upside down by his ankles, after all.

"Yeah, _funny_." Kageyama snorted, shaking his head. "Well... Let's do this, I guess."

Bracing his free arm against the wall was difficult considering how slippery it was, but Kageyama managed it, straining the muscles in his ankles to ensure the tightest latch possible. If he went about this carefully, he could reach up at the exact moment he freed his arm and grab the railing before his ankles could slip. He'd have to be fast, but it was doable.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, he blocked out everything: The rushing water, the worry for himself and Hinata, the fear of the _Ameonna_ , and anything else that could distract him. He'd have to do this extremely quickly. Just like a jump-serve in volleyball, he'd have just one chance, and he had to do it perfectly the first time. _No pressure._

"Here we go," he breathed. Without giving himself any time to chicken out, Kageyama roughly jerked his body around in a 180-degree spin, twisting his arm harshly as he did so. It slipped free from the rocks with a grating sound right as he felt his ankles giving out. Heart in his stomach, Kageyama swung his arm up with the speed of a striking cobra, latching onto the railing at the last possible second. Fire raced across his shoulder as the fall caught up with him, arm jerking painfully in its socket.

And just like that, in the span of a few seconds, it was done.

" _I can't believe I just did that_ ," Kageyama rasped disbelievingly, staring with an open mouth at his hand, still firmly wrapped around the railing. The fear finally caught up with him and he scrambled to wrap his other arm around the stone lifeline. " _Oh my GOD_ , I am such an _idiot_!"

His breath rattled through his chest and Kageyama could tell his whole body would be _achingly_ sore the next day as the many tensed muscles finally relaxed. "That was too much excitement for one day..."

"Kageyama!" Hinata came barreling across the bridge like a roadrunner then, hair mussed and eyes on the brink of tears. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" He puttered to a stop in front of Kageyama and wheezed, running shaking hands through sunset hair. "I managed to get rid of the _Ameonna_ ; that's why I took so long." He took a steadying breath. "That was... _terrifying_. I thought you were going to die for sure!"

"How _reassuring_ ," Kageyama grumbled, though he smiled begrudgingly. "I might still die if you don't pull me up. My arms are killing me right now."

Hinata yelped. "Oh, right!" He scrambled to the edge and wrapped his hands around Kageyama's wrists, heaving him up enough to grab him by the shirt and lug him over like a sack of flour. The two boys collapsed against each other in the middle of the bridge, and for once Hinata stayed solid, back firm and cool against Kageyama's.

For a while, they just sat there, trying to catch their breath and their wits.

Eventually, Kageyama collapsed on his back and stared up at the dark sky with an exhausted groan. Hinata lay beside him, looking much too tired for a ghost, and Kageyama turned to watch him as he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "Maybe we _shouldn't_ go out without Yachi..."

A snort escaped his lips, and before long, Kageyama was full out laughing, covering his face with his hands. Hinata joined him and they lay there, damp, shaken to the core, and laughing their heads off.

"Yeah," he said eventually, grinning breathlessly, "maybe we shouldn't."

He managed to push himself to his feet and looked down at his orange-haired companion, feeling an odd, light sensation in his chest. The sun was setting, tinting the horizon a beautiful collage of warm colors, and an unusually soft smile graced his lips as Kageyama held out a hand to him. "Come on. Let's go home."


	9. A Strange Presence

"That'll be three-thousand yen." Kageyama held his hand out to receive the money that was placed in his palm before handing the customer—a glasses-wearing brunette that looked like she had the sanity of Jack Torrance—the occult book she'd purchased. He waved her on her way, hoping she wasn't off to curse a playground full of children as he placed the money in the register.

The shop had been oddly busy all day, leaving Kageyama no time to study or do anything besides work duties. School had started up again, too, so that left incomplete homework to do as well. (He'd actually brought a textbook to study for his upcoming history exam, but so far, he'd had had no time to use it.)

Overall, Kageyama was being worked to the bone.

Luckily, he had Hinata there with him as a sort of comic relief. His childish antics provided a constant source of amusement, as well as teasing him with whatever new nickname Kageyama could think of. So it wasn't _so_ bad, really, though he would've enjoyed a day off once in a while.

Madoka was such a slave-driver. Kageyama used to think that _just_ volleyball practice was tough enough, but now, he would trade his left arm to go back to his old daily practices instead of having to run around fighting spirits and learning about a ton of different psychic terms.

So far, he'd made it through about a quarter of the books Yachi had given to him in the past few months, although he'd spotted another stack waiting on the table of her apartment, so there was no hope of the memorization ending anytime soon, much to his horror. Kageyama supposed it wasn't _all_ bad, though. He'd learned a lot of interesting things: In fact, learning all these psychic terms was surprisingly almost as much fun as memorizing volleyball signals.

Kageyama had, in a spur of curiosity, even looked into what type of ghost Hinata could be. He'd have to narrow the field down— _a lot_ —and wait to learn more about both his past and spirit philosophy in general before actually being able to discern what type of spirit he was, but _something_ was better than _nothing_.

Speaking of Hinata, the redhead was currently busy lounging on the ratty old couch in the backroom playing some sort of game with a ball of string, weaving it between his fingers and stretching it out to make shapes and patterns. Kageyama had a clear view of him from his spot at the front desk, but anyone else would've had to peer around a large stack of boxes to see him— _if_ he wasn't a ghost, that is.

The shop had gotten a fresh shipment of occult books from someplace up in Tokyo, and the boxes had yet to be inventoried and put out for display. Yachi had said she'd take care of it the previous day, but the stack still remained untouched, creating a barrier between the back room and the front of the shop. 

Every time Kageyama needed something, he had to squeeze around them or vault over the top. He was (for once) jealous of Hinata's ability to phase through solid surfaces, as it would've been much easier than the daily feat of acrobatics he was forced to perform.

He'd have to remind Yachi to take care of it when she got back. She and her mother had gone out a few hours prior to take care of some 'family business,' leaving a wary Kageyama to guard the shop and watch after Hinata (though he really did that already anyway) until they got back. So far, the day had been relatively uneventful, with few customers and a dull, boring atmosphere.

As another customer he'd just rung up exited the shop with a plastic sack full of hex bags, Kageyama turned to Hinata and studied him for a moment before deciding to call out to him. "Oi, dumbass, what're you doing?" (Obviously, he knew already—he _did_ have eyes after all—but Kageyama was dying of boredom, and if Hinata was the only source of entertainment, then so be it.)

"What does it look like?" Hinata murmured in response, flipping his legs up on the couch back so he was staring at Kageyama upside-down like a bat. "I'm bored, so I'm playing with this weird string Madoka-san gave me."

"I wouldn't trust anything _she_ gives you," Kageyama warned offhandedly, resting his head on the back of his hand and turning to stare out the store's dusty front windows—he'd have to remind himself to clean them later. "Have you _seen_ some of the experiments she keeps in the storage room? She's like Dr. Frankenstein or something."

Hinata puffed out his cheeks and lowered his hands, which were still tangled with string, over his head, so he was almost doing a handstand. "You should be nicer to her. She practically took you in."

" _Took me in_?" Kageyama scoffed, rolling his eyes at Hinata's odd position. "First of all, would you _quit_ sitting like that? You're going to get, er... dizzy." He let out an annoyed breath as Hinata stuck his tongue out at him and began playing with the string again, ignoring his suggestion—though he'd realized halfway through his sentence that ghosts probably didn't have to worry about blood rushing to their head. "Okay, whatever. Anyway, she didn't _take me in_. I'm not an orphan, you know."

"Haha, I guess you're right," Hinata giggled. "Well, she's kinda like a weird aunt, then."

Kageyama couldn't help but let a begrudging laugh slip at that remark. "Whatever you say, dumbass."

He _was_ sort of right: In a way, Madoka and Yachi _did_ feel like family to him. Maybe even Hinata did, too—though, of course, Kageyama would never actually tell him that. After a few months of time with them, though, Yachi, and Hinata especially, were very dear to him, which was something he couldn't have fathomed before meeting either of them.

Kageyama had never been the type to have lots of friends—or _any_ , for that matter—but now he had a group of people (albeit a small one) that meant a great deal to him; ones that he felt cheerful being around. In some amazing way, meeting Hinata had changed Kageyama's life, though he still wasn't quite sure if it was for the better. After all, Madoka was a bit crazy, Hinata was a pain in his neck 90% of the time, and he was almost _entirely_ sure that Yachi had ADHD.

But aside from that, he really did like hanging out with them. When Yachi wasn't bouncing off the walls or losing things, she was a great listener and an even better teacher—Kageyama was sure he would learn way more if _she_ taught all his classes at school. And despite all her quirks, Madoka was charming and got along well with everyone, especially her daughter.

And Hinata... Well, when he wasn't following Kageyama around and pissing him off, he was almost... _nice_ to be around. His cheerful attitude was mostly annoying, but sometimes it was so infectious, even pessimistic Kageyama couldn't help but crack a small smile. That was the thing about Hinata—he was always so _happy_ , it only seemed logical that you should be happy, too.

Now, for instance, he had started humming a cheery little tune to himself while he made a nest of his string, wearing an easy, carefree smile. Kageyama _really_ hoped that big mess wasn't supposed to be a shape, because if it was, Hinata might have to consider another hobby aside from weaving; though what hobbies would be available to a spirit, he wasn't quite sure.

The aforementioned redhead still—much to Kageyama's annoyance—had yet to flip himself into an upright position and remained sprawled comfortably with his legs stretched out against the wall, upper body dangerously close to falling off the small couch. Kageyama was sure he would've passed out from all the blood rushing to his head by now if he was still living.

But despite this, watching him playing around and humming made Kageyama almost... _happy_.

 _Oh well._ He sighed lightheartedly. _It's no use trying to reason with him._ He reached across the desk and pulled open the history textbook he'd brought with him, turning to the marked page where he'd left off. _Might as well get busy studying before we get into another argument. It's not like there are any customers, anyway._

Despite the dreary thoughts, Kageyama's lips curled upwards in the beginnings of a smile.

*** * * * ***

The day wore on, and as night slowly began to seep into being, Kageyama felt his eyelids starting to droop. The words in his textbook became blurry and indistinct as he felt drowsiness begin to overtake him, making it hard to hold his head up. There had been little to do at the shop the latter half of the day, and Yachi and Madoka still had yet to return, leaving Kageyama bored but stuck.

Giving up to fatigue, he rested his head on his textbook and closed his eyes with a groan.

He contemplated closing up, but remembered back to Madoka ordering him to keep the place open until at least 11 P.M., considering most of her regulars were 'night-owls'—which didn't exactly put him at ease. Kageyama couldn't help but picture a creepy old lady in a witch's outfit purchasing a voodoo doll or some other occultist buying creepy stuff; which wasn't far off based on what he'd seen that day. (Sometimes he regretted getting into this whole 'psychic' business _just_ because of the sketchy goings-on of Madoka's shop late at night.)

" _Kageyamaaa_ , are you falling asleep?" a voice called teasingly, followed by Hinata's telltale chilly presence to his left.

Kageyama—who was too tired to get scared but _just_ tired enough to be annoyed—let out an exhausted grumble. "Shut up, dumbass Hinata. I'm"—he paused to let a muffled yawn slip free—"not sleeping. Go play with your stupid ghost string and leave me alone."

"Geez, you're _mean_ when you're tired," Hinata complained whiningly, no doubt pouting like a child. Kageyama stubbornly refused to raise his head, hoping the ginger would actually leave him alone without a fight for once—though he supposed he knew him well enough to foresee that that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

Right on cue: "Come on, Kageyama, let's go do something!"

_Just ignore it and it will go away. I heard that in a book once._

"Kageyama!"

_Willpower, willpower. You can do this._

"Kageeaaayyaaammmmaaa-san!"

_I'm sure he'll give up. Any time now and I'll be free to sleep—_

"Tobio!"

Kageyama's head snapped up and around so fast, he was pretty sure he got whiplash. " _What did you just call me_?"

Under his fierce gaze, Hinata only laughed sheepishly and flashed him a bright smile. "I thought I might try calling you by your first name, just once, to try it out!" He placed his hands on his hips, lips curling into a pout, seemingly oblivious to Kageyama's flushed face and shaken composure. "You know, I think we're on a first name basis by now! We've been friends for a while." He stuck out his tongue teasingly. "Besides, life is short, Tobio!"

" _Quit calling me that!_ " Kageyama ordered hastily, hiding his red face in his hands. Nobody outside of his family had _ever_ called him by his first name before, not even his upperclassmen. It was minorly—scratch that: _majorly_ —disconcerting, and for some reason, hearing _Hinata_ say his first name made Kageyama's chest feel all... _gwah_. Both times had been like a hard slap in the face. He wasn't sure if he could handle a third.

But Hinata wasn't done yet. With a giddy laugh, he started singing cheerily: " _Tobio_! Tobio-kun, Tobio-chan, Tobio-san!" He couldn't hold his composure any longer after the last one and burst out laughing when Kageyama covered his face with his textbook in a desperate effort to hide his embarrassment.

He felt like he was being roasted alive by the sun. If he checked, he was sure even his _feet_ were turning red. "Dumbass! Idiot! Stupid redheaded bastard!"

"Calling me names isn't going to do anything, _Tobio~_ " Hinata sang childishly in his ear, letting out a bright giggle. "Come on, you can say my first name, too!" he encouraged. "Try it, try it!"Cupping his hands around his mouth, he pronounced his name with great exaggeration. " _Shō~yō~_ Come on, I know you can do it!"

"Would you _stop it already_?!" Kageyama growled, dropping his textbook to shoot the energetic bouncing redhead his best death glare, even though he was blushing like a tomato the whole time. "I don't let anyone call me by my first name, _especially_ not you!"

"'Especially not you,'" Hinata mimicked defensively, voice becoming agitated. "What's _that_ supposed to mean, Bakageyama?! You let Madoka-san call you by your first name, and your parents, too!"

"When _you_ say it, it's all... _bwah_ ," Kageyama muttered, strangling his textbook and struggling to retain his composure, which was a much harder feat than it had been before. "My parents are my parents, stupid. Besides, I let Madoka-san do it because she scares me, _and_ she lets us use her first name, so it's only fair..."

"I _said_ you could use mine, too!" Hinata exclaimed angrily. "I don't get what the big deal is!"

Kageyama turned on him, slamming his hands on the desk as he finally lost his patience. "The _big deal_ is that—"

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Kageyama jumped, so startled by the sudden interruption that he accidentally knocked his history textbook onto the floor when he turned around. The stranger who had disrupted their little fight stooped to pick it up, and when he straightened to pass it back to Kageyama, he felt a chill travel down his spine. He immediately knew that something wasn't right.

This man was... _off_. Though Kageyama was looking straight at him, he couldn't seem to really see him. His features all seemed indistinct, like he was looking through a rainy window or at an impressionist painting. The only clear thing was his _eyes_. They were so dark, his pupils almost seemed to disappear entirely within the inky depths. Looking into them, Kageyama felt like his heart might stop.

"You dropped this." The man's voice was like a knife blade against a rock: steely and dangerous, like something that could cut him if he got too close.

Kageyama could feel his legs shaking, his heartbeat echoing in his head like a frantic drumbeat. _I don't like this one bit. This feeling is... bad._

Stilling his nerves, Kageyama forced himself to reach out and take the book, grateful that their fingers didn't touch during the transaction. "...Thanks." He steeled himself, placing the book on the desk carefully, as if it were a snake poised to strike. He made a conscious effort not to meet the stranger's gaze. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, no." The man smiled, turning briefly to look over Kageyama's shoulder, teeth glinting white like a shark's. He looked like the advertisement for the _Hyde_ side of _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_. "You've done more than enough." Tipping the edge of a hat Kageyama hadn't noticed before, Mr. Hyde turned his back. "Good evening. Stay safe tonight, both of you."

"Both of..." Kageyama stared after him as the door closed, mouth set in a frown as Hyde disappeared into the night. His mind still struggled to process the events that had just occurred; his body felt like it had been dunked in freezing cold water. _Both of you...? Both of you..._ His eyes slowly widened in recognition. "H— Hinata!"

Whipping around, Kageyama was greeted with empty air where Hinata had stood only moments before.

_Stay safe tonight, both of you._

A feeling of panic seized his chest in a vice-like grip as Kageyama slowly raised himself out of his chair, a lump forming in his throat as fear tried to force its way out. "Hinata...?"

There was no reply, and the snake around Kageyama's heart tightened its hold.

_He didn't answer. He always answers._

Another part of his brain tried to reassure him. _It's okay. Don't panic._

Kageyama took a deep, unsteady breath, but his body wouldn't comply. He could feel himself shaking like a leaf, but he couldn't calm down. He'd never felt this way before. Though he rationally knew that Hinata was probably fine—he did this disappearing act all the time— _something_ about that man was twisting his gut, making him worry. He'd nicknamed the man 'Hyde' for a reason: Something was definitely wrong with him.

Somehow, he made himself speak despite the encroaching feeling of panic. "S-Sh—" Something wet trickled down his cheeks but he ignored it, forcing out the rest of the name. " _Shōyō_?"

The air was silent, Hinata's bright presence noticeably void, and Kageyama was left standing in the quiet of the shop, crying softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked the cliffhanger drama chapter~ I wanted to add a little suspense huhu -u-
> 
> I also threw in some references, if any of you caught onto those. The crazy brunette was based on Hanji, and of course Johnny from The Shining and Hyde from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (which you should read if you haven't).
> 
> Anywaaaay, as always, please comment to let me know what you think and show your support by leaving kudos. Until next time hehe~ ^-^


	10. Imminent Danger

Kageyama had grabbed his jacket and was about to head out to look for Hinata when Yachi finally returned.

The very second she stepped past the threshold of the shop, he was upon her. "Yachi-san, please help!" he begged, gripping her shoulders with utter desperation. He hadn't felt this panicked... well, _ever_. It was almost similar to the feeling he got when his team was in a tough spot during a game, but magnified by 1000: this was raw, unbridled _fear_.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Yachi stammered, utterly perplexed as he clung to her. "P-please try to calm down!"

"You— Earlier t-there was— Hinata is—" He covered his face and took a shaky breath, feeling waves of anxiety washing over him that made it hard to _breathe_ , let alone speak. It was like he was drowning and couldn't kick his way to the surface, doubling over and gripping his head. "I can't— There's no air—"

" _Take a deep breath_." Madoka suddenly appeared, nudging Yachi aside and taking Kageyama's hands. He jolted as a wave of warmth seemed to wash through him, like the sudden calm that time in the forest shrine. His locked-away air came rushing out in short gasps as he felt his tensed muscles relax, knees nearly giving way from the feeling of immense relief. Madoka's presence was like a shot of morphine: everything slowed down around him and Kageyama was able to think clearly once again.

Madoka held his gaze, eyes calm like the still surface of a lake. "Better? Good. Now tell us what happened."

"Hinata... he's—" Kageyama had to take another deep, steadying breath before he could meet her eyes again. "I don't know what happened, but—" He ran a shaking hand through his hair, feeling his nerves begin to unravel; a sensation he recognized as pure panic. "He's... _gone_."

The woman was immediately in motion, not wasting another second talking. She pushed past both Kageyama and her daughter to reach for an odd device sitting on the shop's counter and lifted it, fiddling with a dial on the side, resulting in a popping sound as a bluish-green crystal sprung out from the top.

Kageyama was too focused on trying to breathe to watch what she was doing. His vision was beginning to cloud around the edges, but he couldn't understand why he was panicking so much. It was just Hinata. _Just Hinata..._

" _Kageyama_." Yachi placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him so much, he jumped, finding himself staring into her intense brown eyes. "I've been calling your name for a full minute." She frowned worriedly. "We're going out to look for him. Are you... well enough to help?"

"I'm— I'm fine!" he snapped, brushing her arm away quickly and turning his back on them both. "I just... need some fresh air. I'll go check the forest." He could feel Yachi and Madoka's worried gazes on his back, but he ignored them and pushed out of the shop and into the cold night air. 

He ran towards the forest as he had promised, but he wasn't actively aware of where his feet were going. Everything felt numb.

_Where could he have disappeared to? And why?_ Kageyama ran faster, frowning as his thoughts ran around in his head. _He didn't even say anything to me: just... vanished._ He gritted his teeth as a spike of irrational anger struck him like a bus. _That dumbass! I swear, if anything happened to him, I'll—_

"Oi; tall, dark, and annoying. Over here."

" _Hah_?" Kageyama paused and turned in the direction of the sound with an agitated growl, caught mid-internal-rant and ready to slap someone. "Who're you calling anno— Oh, it's _you_." He paused to stare up at the familiar tall, blond form of the rain spirit, Tsukishima, with trepidation. "What do _you_ want?"

The lanky boy hopped down from the nearby tree he was perched in and wandered over to lean against the railroad-crossing sign with his arms folded. "I see you're pleasant, as always." His smirk lowered into a serious expression. "Your friend: I saw him going towards the graveyard earlier." He pointed across the tracks, past the end of the forest to a tall iron gate. "I would hurry if I were you."

Kageyama paused, surprised by the helpful information. "Oh, th-thanks... I'll go now, then." He started jogging in the appointed direction, casting one last wondering glance back at Tsukishima out of the corner of his eye, but he had disappeared entirely, leaving behind the distant scent of heavy oncoming rain and a lone bolt of lightning in the distance.

*** * * * ***

The graveyard was a large segment of land cut off by a wrought-iron gate that surrounded the entire perimeter of the grounds. Gripping two of the rusty bars, Kageyama could see rows upon rows of gravestones beyond, trailing off into the distance like gray thumbs poking out of the earth, varying in size and shape as they continued on.

It took Kageyama maybe twenty seconds to scale the fence, landing in an easy crouch on the other side and casting his eyes about the place warily, brushing rust from his fingers. It wasn't that it was _creepy_ ; more like abandoned. Yachi had taught him during the earlier stages of his training to sense spiritual energy, but the place was almost completely devoid of it—which was undoubtedly odd for a graveyard.

However, the _faintest_ amount was present. Kageyama could feel it, tingling along his spine and whispering its familiarity: _Hinata._

He broke into a run before he could stop himself, shouting out his name frantically as he went. "Hinata! Hinata! Dumbass, where _are_ you?!"

Passing between two huge stone monoliths with angels perched on top, he paused to let out a frustrated breath, tearing cold hands through black hair anxiously. "Dammit." Kageyama could feel his lungs burning as they struggled for air. He had forgotten to breathe as he was running. " _Dammit_..." More swears escaped his lips as he continued moving, scraping his arms against gravestones and nearly tripping several times as he made his way through the cemetery clumsily.

In the last vestiges of his already-flimsy patience, he gave up and finally called out his name—his real name. "Dammit, _Shōyō_!"

For a moment, nothing: then, from his left, there came a slight shuffling noise and a quiet, unsteady voice was heard, barely carried along with the whispers of the wind. "...K-Kageyama?"

Kageyama stumbled in his haste to get to him, nearly tripping again as he rounded a tall mausoleum and came upon a small, plain headstone made of moss-encrusted, worn white marble, upon which a redheaded boy leaned with his arms tightly around himself, staring up at him with tear-stained cheeks.

His face broke when their eyes locked. "K-Kageyama~a!" He raised his arms like a small child and Kageyama fell to his knees beside him, hugging the boy without even thinking.

"Hinata, what the _hell_ were you thinking?!" he scolded, trying not to let his relief show. "I— _Everyone_ was worried sick about you! Why did you just disappear like that?" He pulled back to look down at the smaller boy, suddenly feeling something loosen in his chest as he witnessed the broken expression on his face. "Hinata... what _happened_?" he asked more gently, reminding himself that he needed to be delicate in this situation, even if he was steaming mad.

"I— He was— s-said— and, I f-felt— He scared-d—" Hinata couldn't seem to get the words out and started to cry even harder, sending off little panic signals in Kageyama's brain.

He had never been good at comforting people, but... all he knew was that seeing Hinata breaking down like this made him feel incredibly bad, so he had to do _something_. "Please, don't cry. Just... take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

A memory sparked behind his eyelids faintly: Kageyama when he was little and had just fallen. He was crying so hard he could barely breathe, and his mom knelt next to him and held him tightly in her arms. _"There's a trick I know that gets rid of fear, Tobio. All you have to do to feel safe is to listen to someone's heartbeat."_ She pressed his ear to her chest. _"See? It's calming, right? Now, can you tell Mommy what happened?"_

"H-Hinata..." Kageyama sat back with a blush. 

He covered his mouth with his hand. _I can't believe I'm about to do this..._

Grabbing the ginger's sweatshirt before he could chicken out, he yanked him against his chest and held on tight, cementing the fact somewhere in the back of his mind that Hinata couldn't run away again while they were like this. "L-listen to my heartbeat." He looked away, cheeks flaming, feeling like he wanted to die. Nevertheless, he repeated the words his mom had said to him."It's c-calming, right?"

Slowly, cold arms wrapped around him, forcing Kageyama to let out a tiny gasp as the icy feeling spread through his chest. _So cold... It gets like this when he's upset, but it's never been so bad._ He forced himself to tighten his hold, shivering as Hinata's tears dried against his jacket. "I-it's okay," he mumbled, trying to keep the tremor of cold from his voice. "You can t-tell me w-what happened."

The small boy's sobs slowly decreased into little hiccups as he clung to Kageyama's shirt like it was a lifeline. "When h-he walked into the s-shop, I f-felt like the room got all i-i-icy all of a sudden..." He pulled back to look Kageyama in the eye, startling him with the level of fear there. "Something about h-him was just... _wrong_. I could f-feel it." Hinata wiped his eyes and sniffled weakly. "When he l-looked at me, I f-felt like he was g-going to d-do something... I got so s-scared, I couldn't h-h-help but run away..."

His expression crumpled again as fresh tears stained his face. "I d-didn't mean to w-w-worry everyone! I'm r-really sorry, Kageyama." He buried his face in his hands and Kageyama clutched him tightly, glancing away with a sigh.

"Tobio," he muttered under his breath gruffly, though he was sure Hinata would hear it. "I guess you can... call me Tobio, if you really want to."

Hinata didn't say anything, but Kageyama felt his body grow less cold as the redhead hugged him again, almost disappearing entirely into the depths of his jacket. Kageyama realized then what an uncomfortable position they were in—Hinata sitting on his legs with him half-fallen-over—and shifted so he could look his shorter companion in the eye, forcing himself to smile reassuringly, even though he felt anything _but_ reassured. "Are you... ready to go back now?"

There was the slightest of pauses before Hinata nodded, giving his face one final wipe with his sleeves, though his eyes seemed to be leaking like broken faucets. "Y-yes..." He paused before whispering his name hesitantly, "...Tobio."

As it had the first time, the utterance sent a shiver down Kageyama's spine that made him want to blush, though he forced it down with some difficulty and moved into a kneeling position, still holding Hinata's hands securely. He was sitting with his legs sprawled on either side of him, only adding to his usual childish image.

"Can you stand?" Kageyama asked gently, then felt stupid for asking. He wasn't _injured_ : of course he could stand up. But no; Hinata shook his head, releasing one of Kageyama's hand to sniffle into, looking like he was about to start seriously bawling again. 

Kageyama panicked: They had to get back ASAP so more _sensitive_ people—*cough cough* _Yachi_ —could comfort him.

Not knowing what else to do, he turned and offered his back. 

"Climb on," he ordered roughly, unable to keep the blush from his face this time. If someone had told him last week that he'd be sitting in a graveyard offering to piggyback an annoying redheaded ghost who made his life miserable and his heart feel like it would explode, Kageyama would've called them crazy. And probably punched them a few times, too.

But as Hinata's arms wrapped around him, and he hefted him onto his back and started walking, it didn't feel weird at all. It didn't even feel weird when slender arms wrapped around his shoulders and a head of orange curls rested against his shoulder, or when the sky opened up and it started pouring rain.

As they walked, Hinata's presence grew even warmer against his back.

*** * * * ***

After a while of walking in silence through the storm, Hinata turned his head slightly, staring at the side of Kageyama's head with tired chocolate eyes. "Hey, Tobio..." He sounded half-awake, even though it was impossible for spirits to be sleepy. "...there's something else I wanted to tell you. About that man."

He seemed a lot calmer, which was a huge relief. Kageyama felt much more at ease when he wasn't crying.

He let out a small breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yes? What is it?"

Hinata's head burrowed into his shoulder again, and his grip tightened around him, though not painfully. More... as if he were seeking comfort, or rather, the reassurance that Kageyama was still there. His brain got lost for a second in that thought before the ginger spoke, drawing his attention back to the present. 

"His aura... it was super weird."

"Weird?" Kageyama prompted, turning to stare out at the edge of the forest to hide his discomposure. This dumbass would definitely be the end of him...

"Yeah..." He felt the boy on his back shiver with discomposure. "I've never felt anything like it before. It was somehow the aura of both a ghost... and a human."


	11. The First Way Station

By the time they reached Madoka's shop, the rain had only worsened, increasing Kageyama's encroaching feeling of worry. After what Hinata had told him, his brain was spinning in a never-ending loop of confusion and a single question:  _How can someone have the aura of a human and a ghost?_  Nowhere in any of Yachi's books had anything like that ever been mentioned.

He resolved to ask Madoka, but when they got back, the shop was empty, the front door locked and the shop windows dark. Kageyama let out a frustrated sigh at this realization, shifting Hinata's weight on his back to reach for his phone in the back pocket of his jeans. As he walked, he sent a text to Yachi saying he'd found Hinata and would see her the next day.

Hinata watched him as he tucked it back in his pocket, head lulling slightly on his shoulder. "I'm really sorry... I didn't want to worry everyone so much."

Kageyama sighed again. "It's fine, really. It's not your fault you got scared."

They walked in silence for a while until Hinata shifted on his back again, trailing warmth across his shoulders. Kageyama found it much more pleasant than his usual aura of freezing cold. "Where are we going?"

"Home," he replied quietly. "My parents are gone, so it should be fine if you stay there for a while." He paused, feeling the flicker of a smile cross his lips. "Besides, they wouldn't be able to see you, anyway."

Hinata giggled, and the sound was familiar and reassuring. "You're right." His arms tightened around Kageyama's neck as his mood turned sober. "But thank you. I... really feel better if I'm with you." As if that phrase didn't have a kick-like effect to Kageyama, he laughed again. "Haha, you know, this reminds me of when I used to give my little sister piggy-back rides."

For a second, Kageyama stopped walking, surprised. Hinata had never shared anything about his life before, and that he was finally doing it now made him feel... happy? It was like they were actually friends: or, it at least meant Hinata trusted him, which gave him a strangely...  _satisfied_  feeling.

He forced himself to start walking again before Hinata noticed something was up, but had to lower his face to hide the smile there.

_I'm such an idiot._

***  *  *  *  ***

Dusk was settling over the Natori sky-line when they reached Kageyama's house. A chill breeze had swept over the landscape, and Kageyama couldn't feel his fingers by the time he finally managed to unlock the door and escape into the warmth beyond. He stumbled inside, kicking off his shoes and tossing his stuff on the floor, letting out a relieved sigh as the heat hit him.

"Can I set you down now?" he panted to Hinata, feeling like his muscles were about to give out, even though the redhead weighed next to nothing.

"Mmm." The boy tapped his shoulder lazily in consent and Kageyama lowered into a crouch, allowing him to slide off easily. As he straightened, his back popped painfully and he winced, muttering a curse under his breath as he wandered over to the fridge. He was about to ask Hinata if he wanted anything, but then remembered he was a ghost and couldn't help but laugh at himself.

While Kageyama removed the milk and sipped from the carton, Hinata flounced around the house, making appreciative noises. "Tobio, hey, hey, what is this painting thing?" he inquired, pointing at a mural on the living room wall.

Kageyama set down the milk carton, once more startled hearing his name come out of the smaller boy's mouth. He walked around the kitchen island and came closer, pausing with his hands on his hips to study the familiar portrait. "My dad has a thing for antique paintings. He collects them. He got that one at an auction when I was ten."

"Uwah..." Hinata peered at it with awe. "Wow, that's so cool! I've never known anyone who collects stuff."

The look of genuine wonder on his face was so funny, Kageyama couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not  _that_  impressive. Lots of people collect things, you weirdo."

Hinata turned and stuck his tongue out at him, but he was still smiling. " _I_  think it's cool! The only thing I ever collected was sports magazines, and  _that's_ pretty boring." He looked over his shoulder with a smile that made Kageyama's stomach feel weird. "What about you? Do you collect anything, Tobio?"

Hearing the ginger say his name again reminded Kageyama that they were doing that now—that he could call him Shōyō, if he wanted to. However, that thought was  _way_  too embarrassing to think about for too long, so he quickly shook his head no and turned around to replace the milk in the fridge, hiding his blush with the back of his hand as he scooted past Hinata to head for upstairs. "I'm going to bed..."

"Wahh, but it's not even that late!" Hinata whined, following him as far as the foot of the stairs, gripping the railing with trepidation. "You're like an old man if you go to sleep this early!"

Kageyama shot him an annoyed glare over his shoulder as he climbed. "Shut up. I'll see you tomorrow." He shot him the I'm-watching-you gesture. " And  _don't touch anything_. My parents should be home late, so don't... freak them out with your ghostiness or anything."

He paused again on the last step and cast a glance back at the redhead, who was still pouting childishly below. "And... goodnight, Shōyō." He retreated as soon as the words left his mouth, only stopping once he was safely behind his bedroom door.

Sagging against it in relief, Kageyama covered his burning face with his hands and groaned loudly. "Kill me now..."

He flopped on his bed face-down and buried himself underneath the blanket, stewing in embarrassment. This was horrible. Awful.  _Completely_  terrible. The odd fluttery feeling in his chest just wouldn't go away. It was like a pack of butterflies had moved in beneath his rib-cage and were constantly flying around his heart. An infestation; that's what it was.

Kageyama only wished he was stupider, so he wouldn't have to realize what that feeling was...

***  *  *  *  ***

The next day, the morning seemed to crawl by. By the time Kageyama was awake enough to open his eyes, the late-morning sun crept through the windows, and when he looked outside, his parents' cars were already gone, meaning it was past 8:30.

He groaned at that and ran a hand over his face tiredly. Mornings had never been his thing.

After a few more minutes, when Kageyama finally gained the willpower to get up and stumble down the stairs into the kitchen on bare feet, he found Hinata laying on the floor on his stomach, looking through a photo album.

"I told you not to touch anything, dumbass," he mumbled tiredly, though Kageyama was too exhausted to  _really_  be mad.

Hinata jumped at the sound of his voice nonetheless, hand phasing through the album page he had been about to turn and sending him sprawling. "A-ah, you scared me!" He flipped into an upright position and sat seiza-style with his hands sandwiched between his legs, glaring at him. "Geez, I just saw it on the bookshelf and got curious..." His eyes fell guiltily, mood switching in an instant. "I'm sorry..."

"It's fine," Kageyama said quickly, hating the dejected look on his face. "You can look at it. Just... don't touch anything  _breakable_."

Hinata's face quickly brightened as he gave a little salute. "Yes, sir!" He went back to studying the photos while Kageyama simply rolled his eyes and began searching for breakfast. It was way too early to deal with the redhead's antics.

Taking a bowl from the cabinet, Kageyama felt his phone begin buzzing in his pocket:  _a lot_. By the time he successfully extracted the device from his pocket, there were about twenty different texts from Yachi dominating the screen. Kageyama frowned as he started reading them over. The first one was from late the previous night.

**From: Yachi at 0103:** _I'm glad you found him! Mom and I will see you both tomorrow at the shop._

After that relatively normal message, they quickly got weirder.

**From: Yachi at 0311:**  _Kageyama, there's something going on. Call me when you see this._

**From: Yachi at 0407:**  _This is seriously important. Something's wrong. Mom got a call a few minutes ago and now she's telling me to pack up a combat kit. She won't tell me what's going on. Please call soon._

**From: Yachi at 0546:**  _There's been a serious breach at a wayline. We really need your help. I'm texting you the address._

She had sent an address that Kageyama recognized as an old factory a few miles away from his house, which was confusing considering there was nothing there besides the husk of the old production building and a huge empty field of dead grass.

Frowning, he scrolled down to the next message.

**From: Yachi at 0620:**  _Mom took me with her. The wayline looks like it had a bomb exploded in it. I know you don't know who they are, but the IBPA is here. This is really bad._

And the last (and most troubling) one:

**From: Yachi at 0659:** _Come now. Urgent._

As he read over it, Kageyama felt a pang of paranoia and dialed Yachi's number as he put back everything he'd taken out for breakfast. "Hinata, put that away," he ordered, stalking to the door and pulling on his shoes as the phone continued to ring. "There's something serious going on and we need to go."

He cursed as the phone went to voicemail, ignoring Hinata's confused inquiries to leave a message. "Yachi, it's me. I just saw all your messages. We'll be there in ten minutes."

Hanging up, he shoved the phone back in his pocket and finished tying his shoes clumsily.

Hinata, who had stood up, was looking at him fearfully, still confused. "What's going on?" he asked quietly, shifting closer and staring up at him with earnest, concerned brown eyes. "Did something bad happen?"

"I don't know," Kageyama relented, finally allowing himself to pause and take a deep breath. "I just saw all these messages from Yachi talking about a wayline being attacked, and now she won't answer my calls." He tugged a hand through his hair nervously. "We need to go, now. Are you ready?"

Hinata paused a moment before nodding hesitantly, eyes unsure but determined. "Yeah. Let's go."

***  *  *  *  ***

The factory wasn't too far away from his house. Kageyama took his bike, Hinata riding on the back of the seat and holding on to him for dear life. Apparently, he was too drained to do his usual vanishing act, which left their current arrangement as the only option. It was annoying, but Kageyama also felt more relaxed with him close by.

As they reached the factory's expansive empty lot, he pulled to a rough stop and threw down the kickstand, squinting through the foggy morning air at the decrepit structure ahead. The building's iron foundations had long-since rusted well beyond repair, leaving a bulky shell of mangled metal behind like a picked-clean corpse. Usually, it was (understandably) empty, but today, there was a group of about twelve people standing in the middle of the field.

As the two boys slid off the bike, one of them turned and sprinted across the grass towards them. "Kageyama, Hinata! You're finally here!" Yachi herself came to a stop in front of them, struggling to catch her breath. Her usual bright smile was absent from her face, replaced by an oddly somber look that Kageyama rarely witnessed tainting the blonde's cheerful features, but at least she was in one piece.

"What's going on?" he asked, picking up his feet to avoid tripping as she started dragging him towards the gathering out in the field.

Hinata scurried after them as Yachi shot him a troubled glance. "This wayline was attacked early this morning. My mom said she felt it, and right after that,  _they_  called her." She gestured at the gathering when she said 'they,' and from the way she said it, Kageyama could tell she wasn't a fan of them, whoever 'they' were.

"What's the situation?" he asked, deciding to get down to business. He knew from his few months of training that a wayline being attacked was a serious issue.

Waylines were veins of spiritual energy that ran across the whole world like the lines of a map: If one was damaged, it could have serious consequences on the spiritual realm, and if one was  _destroyed_ , the balance of the natural world would be completely overturned.

As they neared the group, Yachi gave a quick rundown of the events: Early that morning, a large explosion had gone off, snagging part of the wayline and creating a tear. If they didn't seal it quickly, the escaping spiritual residue would eventually rupture the line from the inside-out.

She had been right when she said the situation was urgent, and Kageyama felt terrible for making her wait.

"How can I help?"

Yachi grimaced. "About that...  _they_  actually have jurisd—"

"You two there!" A loud voice cut Yachi off mid-sentence, drawing Kageyama's attention to a man with a strange blond buzz-cut that was breaking away from the group up ahead and stalking towards them with a glower. "The tall dark-haired one and the  _Ushinawareta_! Stop right there!"

The three of them did as instructed, Hinata ducking behind Kageyama with a small yelp as the man came to a rough stop in front of them. He waved a finger in Kageyama's face. "What do you think you're doing here? This is a closed location. Only specialized individuals are permitted to be here."

Yachi looked about ready to kick the guy—and Kageyama shared her sentiment, honestly—when a calm voice interjected, "They're with me, Agent Kyōtani." Madoka slid past the man—Kyōtani—to stand beside Kageyama and her daughter. "This is my apprentice, Kageyama, and his familiar, Hinata." Her tone was pleasant and face stoic, but her eyes were narrowed in an almost predatory way. "Please don't interrogate them further."

Kageyama was too caught up in what she'd said to hear the man's response as he began arguing with her. She'd called Hinata his  _familiar_. He remembered reading a little bit about those in one of Yachi's books, but they were described as spirits or demons under a binding contract, which he and Hinata definitely  _didn't_  have. Hinata couldn't  _possibly_  be his familiar, so why would Madoka say so? And what was that thing the agent had called him— _Ushinawareta_?

"Fine, then," Kyōtani barked, startling him back into the conversation. "I  _suppose_  they can observe, but at the  _slightest_  sign of trouble, they'll be removed." He turned on his heel and stormed back over to the others, whom Kageyama guessed were his colleagues.

Madoka followed, turning to look back at them. "Well? What are you waiting for?" She waved a hand at them. "Come on."

As they all hurried to follow her, Kageyama felt a tingling sensation between his shoulder-blades, like something was watching him, and shivered, burrowing deeper into his jacket and glancing around restlessly. Whatever was going on there, he had a  _very_  bad feeling about it.


	12. Broken Barrier

The Investigative Bureau of Psychic Anomalies was a small group, but they were, by far, the most uptight people Kageyama had ever met in his entire life. Aside from Agent Kyōtani, whom he'd met already, the team was comprised of four others: Agents Yahaba, Watari, Hanamaki, and Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi seemed to be the unofficial leader, ordering his colleagues around with an aura of authority.

Kyōtani didn't bother them much after Madoka's interference, but Kageyama caught him shooting them dirty looks whenever he thought they weren't looking. Hinata, unnerved by the extra attention he was getting, stuck close to Kageyama's side. He was probably freaked out that so many people could see him, and these people weren't exactly what Kageyama would call  _friendly_.

Nevertheless, he couldn't let petty feelings get in the way of work. Madoka and Yachi looked somber, so the situation must've been serious. Based on the psychic reading he was picking up, Kageyama could confirm that theory. It felt like the air itself was charged with electricity, and every single person present was on edge. Hinata kept glancing around, clearly terrified, and Kageyama stuck very close to him, still wary of the feeling of being watched.

"We need to get down to business." One of the IBPA agents turned to them with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his lips. "I have two agents currently walking the perimeter, so if the culprit still lurks nearby, we'll find them."

Kageyama's eyes widened. So it really  _was_  an attack on the wayline... But who would do something like that? He couldn't help but think back to that man's visit to Madoka's shop the previous day, and what Hinata had said about him. What if  _he_  was somehow the one behind this? Hinata had been genuinely terrified, so clearly, the man was dangerous. But would he be dumb enough to attack such a powerful place—and powerful group of people?

He'd have to tell Madoka about this later, but for now, his mind needed to be focused on the issue directly ahead: Repairing the wayline. Madoka was off talking with the man who Kageyama had guessed as the leader, Iwaizumi, and was clearly upset about something, gesturing back at him and Hinata before directing her harsh glare towards the man once again. If Kageyama were to make a guess, he would wager she was bartering for their rights to stand on equal ground with the other psychics.

Yachi watched from beside him, mouth pursed into a thin line. It was easy to tell she didn't like these people at all from the way her shoulders tensed and her eyes bored into each of them with an odd intensity. If he hadn't seen her like this before, Kageyama probably would've been super freaked out, but now, it just made him chuckle and pat her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. We can hold our own against these stiffs, Yachi." He dropped the honorific on purpose, knowing it would make her feel better. Right now, she needed a friend, not a colleague.

Offering him a grateful half-smile, Yachi reached out and squeezed his shoulder in return. "Thanks, Kageyama." She let out a deep breath and seemed to pull herself together, letting her typical smile relax her tense features. "As long as Mom's here, those guys will  _have_  to treat us as equals." She winked Kageyama and Hinata's way. "She's kinda a celebrity in the supernatural world."

Hinata blinked in surprise. " _Wahh_ , really, Yacchan?! I didn't know that!"

The blonde chuckled, covering her mouth slightly with the back of her hand. "Yeah, not many people do. Mom used to be a part of this really important psychic agency, but when it disbanded, she started laying low. Even though it isn't around anymore, it still has a pretty extensive reputation."

"Hmm." Kageyama turned back to Madoka, studying her with a new air of interest. The woman just kept getting more and more mysterious. "So these guys will listen to her, then?"

"Hopefully..." Yachi's eyes flicked downwards and she bit her lip. "These guys are kind of hard to deal with..." She puffed out her cheeks in sudden annoyance. "At least their stupid president isn't here. I hate his stinking guts." She kicked the ground and grumbled angrily. "If I ever see his stupid pretty-boy face again, I swear..."

Hinata and Kageyama glanced at her questioningly, but neither of them wanted to risk getting slapped by asking her about it. Luckily, they didn't have to, because Madoka came jogging over a few seconds later, wearing a self-satisfied smile. "Alright, kids, I beat those hopeless idiots into submission!" She smiled cheerfully, contrasting her harsh words. "Let's get started!"

***  *  *  *  ***

The reparation of a wayline was about as complicated as one would expect for something so volatile. Each member of the team was busy with a different aspect of the process, some making talismans while others took residual readings or set up odd contraptions Kageyama had never seen before.

He and Yachi were helping Madoka unload their kits while Hinata fluttered around them like a nervous sparrow, eyes wide as he took in everything that was going on. Kageyama kept a wary gaze on him out of the corner of his eye, feeling an inexplicable urge to protect him. Something was definitely wrong. The feeling of eyes on him still lingered in the back of his senses, and Kageyama could feel his nerves tingling with an odd anticipation.

Eventually, it got so bad, he couldn't focus on his work anymore. "Oi, Shōyō, sit here and keep quiet." He gritted his teeth and patted the dirt directly beside him, glancing around with his jaw clenched tightly. Hinata blinked at him, stopping in his rapid movements to hesitantly sink down beside him, hands sandwiched between his legs.

Kageyama let out a tiny breath and turned his attention back to his work while the redhead continued to look on, surprisingly obedient, for once.

Meanwhile, he could feel Yachi's eyes on him as he removed a silver knife from the pack and set it down next to another, identical specimen. He glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow in slight irritation when her gaze didn't drop away. "What? Is there something you want to say to me?"

Yachi snickered, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, nothing." She peered at him and Hinata with an amused sort of suspicion. "You two just seem to be getting along awfully well lately." She wiggled her eyebrows. "I just didn't realize you were  _first name_  getting along well."

Kageyama and Hinata both glanced at each other and quickly looked away again, faces flushed. Kageyama coughed awkwardly and tried to speak without his voice cracking. "Sh-shut up. We're just trying to get along. I thought that's what you wanted."

He had said Hinata's first name without even thinking about it.  _How embarrassing..._

"Let's just get to work. I want to go home sooner rather than later."

"Suit yourself," Yachi hummed, giggling to herself as she turned to her own pack.

Kageyama shot her one last glare before shaking his head and picking up his work again, trying to ignore the feeling of anticipation lingering in his gut and Hinata's chilly presence close beside him. It was rather hard to do with all the ruckus the IBPA was making, though. Clangs and loud beeping noises filled the air, and the clattering of metal as they set up even more weird machines.

"What exactly  _are_  they doing?" he asked eventually, too annoyed to continue unloading as another loud rattle resonated through the air.

"Setting up equipment that will be able to sense how deep the leak goes," Yachi answered, dropping a bag of lavender salt on the ground with a small grunt. "It can tell us the amount of energy seeping into the air from the wayline's rupture. We can't repair it until we know how much damage was done."

"Ah, I see." Kageyama frowned. "But why do they need so many?"

"Each one is in charge of a different component." Yachi paused, tapping a finger against her cheek wonderingly. "I guess you could say a wayline is like a quilt: it has several different patches of spiritual energy, and so we need multiple needles to patch it up." She smiled. "Get it?"

"Uwah, that's so cool!" Hinata answered for him, hands clasped to his chest in excitement, finally breaking his fast of speaking. "So will  _you_  get to help repair it, too, Yacchan?"

"Well..." She laughed nervously, sitting back on her heels with a sheepish smile. "I'm not exactly qualified for that yet... But my mom will be helping out. Kagayama, you and I will likely be assisting her. We'll need to act as a sort of sieve and catch any energy that she misses."

"Awww, I wanna help, too," Hinata whined, shoulders slumping dejectedly. "I can't do  _anything_  fun as a ghost..."

Yachi covered her mouth as a giggle slipped through. "Don't worry, Hinata: You can keep a lookout for us." Her expression hardened and her eyes flicked around warily, causing Kageyama to stiffen nervously in response. "Someone  _definitely_  attacked this place, so if they come back, we need to know about it."

"You can count on me, Yacchan!" Hinata chirped with a happy salute, not seeming to sense the full gravity or danger of the situation. "If anyone shows up, I'll sense them right away!"

"Kids, hurry up and finish unpacking," Madoka scolded, reappearing to interrupt their conversation. "They'll be starting the reparation soon, and we all need to be prepared for anything."

"Sorry, Mom."

The two of them got back to work and before long, the packs' contents were spread across the grass in neat piles: Bags of salt, silver weapons, a stack of talismans with paper and ink to make more, a set of prayer beads, a special wooden symbol made to ward off evil, and countless other things. It was a little extensive, but then again, Kageyama didn't know all that much about wayline damage: It was clearly more serious than he'd thought.

Nevertheless, he was up for the challenge. It was exciting to be doing something as important as saving the natural world. All Kageyama had ever done was expel yokai or purify spirits, but now... This was on a whole other level. He wished those stuck up guys from the IBPA weren't there, but oh well—more help couldn't be a bad thing in this scenario.

Speaking of the IBPA, their agents were now lining up in a rough oval in the center of the field along with Madoka, and Yachi and Kageyama behind her. Hinata stood farther back, taking his job of lookout very seriously as his eyes constantly combed the landscape around them. Kageyama felt himself smile fondly and tried to force it down as Iwaizumi took the last space in the oval, holding a long staff with a huge clear golden crystal on its end.

As everyone watched, he walked to the center of their congregation and stabbed the staff deep into the dirt. When it made contact, a shiver traveled down Kageyama's spine, like someone had dropped an ice cube down his shirt. Iwaizumi took his place in the oval again and glanced around at each person. "Is everyone ready?"

Choruses of assent filled the air, and Agent Iwaizumi nodded gruffly. "Good. Let's begin."

Kageyama shifted, watching with great interest—he'd never seen this done before. Beside him, Yachi reached forward and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. Figuring he should probably do the same, Kageyama set his palm against Madoka's back with some hesitation. What was going to happen?

"Brace yourself," Yachi whispered to him out of the corner of her mouth, taking a position like she was about to start sprinting. "As soon as the crystal starts glowing, they'll start. If you sense any escaping energy, just pretend to shove against it with your mind and it will be sucked back in."

Kageyama nodded, doing as she'd instructed and directing his attention towards the crystal. For a few seconds it just sat there, not doing anything, but after a while, a gentle golden glow began emanating from the center, like a candle being lit from within. Kageyama gritted his teeth and braced himself further, over-preparing for what was about to come.

***  *  *  *  ***

As the glow progressively grew stronger, each psychic present raised their hands, including Madoka, and the light sent a beam to each of their palms like a laser pointer. As this happened, a barrier surrounded the whole group, and Kageyama could hear Hinata jump backward with a yelp, caught outside of it. Through the very center of their oval, a glowing multicolored line split from the ground: the wayline.

From this line, energy spurted out like an exploding firework, caught by the beams and sucked into the psychic's hands, then back into the crystal. That was when Kageyama realized his job: A small ribbon of colored light escaped from Madoka's right palm, floating out towards him—and the edge of the barrier. Remembering what Yachi had said, he stuck out his free hand and acted like he was shoving against a wall. A small pressure felt like it extended from his palm, and the energy was slammed against it, ricocheting back out and being caught by a beam of light.

Kageyama breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't so hard, after all. From the corner of his eye, he could see Yachi doing the same, catching the stray energy and sending it back to her mother. Even farther back, Hinata was standing right outside the barrier, mouth forming an O as he watched the process with awe.

Continuing to catch strings of light and throw them back out, Kageyama began to feel a strain, but not physically. It was like the effort of pushing back so many times was putting stress on his  _mental_  energy rather than his body. It was just like that time he had been forced to fight all those spirits during the overflow by the train tracks.

Yachi, too, appeared to be feeling the strain, chest rapidly rising and falling, arms shaking slightly. Kageyama was worried how long he'd last. She had much more experience than him, and if  _she_  was already getting tired, then...

Suddenly, a scream tore through the air, ripping Kageyama's attention from the energy—and his hand from Madoka's back. With the break of connection, his muscles felt much more painful and strained, and Yachi was shouting for him to come back, but Kageyama didn't care. He whipped around to peer through the semi-transparent golden surface of the barrier.

On the other side, Hinata was sprawled across the ground, blood-like ectoplasm leaking from a huge gash through his left shoulder.

Kageyama slammed his hands against the barrier, but it didn't budge at all. "HINATA! Why are you hurt? What the hell happened?!"

"S-someone shot at me." Hinata struggled to rise to his feet, clutching his left arm as his sweatshirt soaked up red, wound letting off a hissing steam. His eyes shot every which way. For some reason, they were wide with terror. "Keep w-working! I'm fine."

Kageyama ignored him, slamming his fists against the barrier again and again as Yachi continued screeching at him from behind to come back. "You're not  _fine_ , you idiot! I have eyes!" He let out a frustrated growl and tore his hands through his hair harshly. " _Dammit_ , this stupid thing won't let me through!" His hands bounced harmlessly off it like it was bulletproof glass.

"Stay inside!" Hinata ordered. "D-don't come out here or you'll—"

Without warning, a streak of white flashed through the air like a shooting star, striking Hinata's stomach this time and sending him to his knees. It bounced against the barrier and dispersed like a puff of smoke while Hinata collapsed on his side beyond, unresponsive.

" _ **NO**_!" Kageyama threw his leg back and thrust it with all the force he could muster directly into the barrier, and this time, its surface shattered like glass, raining down to the ground in millions of shards of blinding light.


	13. Plague of the Ikiryō

As soon as the barrier shattered, a loud whining sound filled the air, like the sound of a train whistle. Kageyama stumbled forward from the momentum of his kick, falling to his knees in front of Hinata's prone form. Behind him, Yachi gave a loud shout of alarm.

He spared a glance her way to see the crystal glowing so bright, he had to immediately look away again. This was bad. He shouldn't have broken the barrier. But...

"Hinata!" Kageyama scurried forward frantically on his hands and knees and reached out to touch the redhead's shoulder, only to immediately jerk his hand away again with a hiss of pain. The boy's skin must've been at least -30 degrees. Kageyama pulled his sweatshirt sleeves down over his hands and was able to turn Hinata over onto his back without further injuring his hands.

The boy was still awake, and his face contorted with pain when Kageyama touched him. Whoever gave spirits the capability to feel pain after death was a real bastard.

"I'm sorry, I know it hurts," Kageyama apologized in a whisper, hands darting helplessly around his wounds.

Hearing a barely audible sound like metal against metal, he gasped and threw himself down, covering Hinata just in time as another of those white things shot past and left a deep indent on the ground. Breath coming in short gasps, Kageyama threw his head up again, searching frantically for the source of the projectiles.

Chaos raged behind him as the crystal began vibrating with power. Each psychic in the group was struggling to deal with the amounts of energy that were suddenly being thrown at them full force, no barrier there to back them up. Kageyama didn't have time to worry about them, though. Whoever was trying to harm them was still here somewhere. He couldn't let them hurt Madoka or the others and risk hindering the reparation further, or worse: damaging the wayline even more.

Kageyama had no doubt the one attacking them now was the one who had struck the wayline earlier, but why wait till now to attack again? Maybe because the psychics were all distracted and couldn't defend themselves? Kageyama's eyes narrowed. Well, then, they had another thing coming.  _He_  was the one who broke the barrier, so he would protect the others, including Hinata.

Positioning the redhead behind him, Kageyama stood, reaching for one of the silver knives Madoka had instructed he and Yachi keep on their persons and took a defensive stance, eyes searching for the attacker. He also had a few talismans on him, but otherwise, not much for defense. He'd have to be smart about this. The best plan would be to locate the opponent's location first, then strike them with a paralysis talisman and secure them that way.

Another white light shot down towards him and Kageyama deflected it with the knife, sending it drilling into the ground by his left foot. His mind raced trying to figure out what the projectiles could be. The only theory he could come up with was that they were Shiki: spirits who, when called from the afterlife with an invocation, aided their summoner, usually in dangerous or undesirable jobs. Kageyama had never heard of them appearing as spears of light before, though.

Another came barreling towards him and he slashed it out of the sky instead of deflecting it. It burst like a sack of flour and disappeared, though another one quickly followed it. If these truly were Shiki, he couldn't kill them with just a silver knife: a purification ritual was needed. However, he didn't have time to perform one, especially since there were multiple Shiki present.

_Wait..._  Kageyama's eyes widened as he got an idea. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a purification talisman and slapped it against the knife's blade. "This can work as a substitute," he muttered to himself. "Hopefully, it will work the same as a purification ritual..."

The next Shiki came a few seconds later, and Kageyama held his breath, slashing at it sideways. As soon as the blade struck the ball of light, an eerie shriek filled the air and the light fizzed, exploding in a puff of steam like the one that had hit the barrier earlier. Kageyama inwardly cheered, but he didn't have much time to celebrate. Another spirit shot towards him, quicker than the others, and he had to take a step back to slash it just before it hit him.

_I have to find the source._ Kageyama's eyes darted from place to place, waiting for the next spirit. If he traced the Shiki's trail, he might be able to find the person firing them.

Another shot at him and Kageyama let out a slight yell. They were getting much faster now. It was hard enough to deflect as is without  _also_  trying to discern their origin point—but it was the only way to defend everyone trying to repair the wayline.

The enemy clearly wasn't squeamish about hurting them severely, so there was no giving up. The only option now was to keep fighting.

***  *  *  *  ***

Finally, after several more Shiki, Kageyama could tell that they were definitely coming from within the shell of the ruined factory. He didn't want to leave Hinata and the others, but he couldn't stick the assailant with a talisman from this far away. So he whispered an apology to his friends under his breath and, like a crazy person, made a mad dash for the building.

He hoped Hinata was okay. He couldn't  _die_ , necessarily, but he could disappear. With phantasmal blood leaking from him so heavily, he could easily break up and disperse.

Hinata was an earth-bound spirit, which basically meant he was a ghost that had never gone to the underworld after mortal death like he was supposed to. That's where he would be sent if he was killed here, and Kageyama would never be able to reach him again if that happened...

_Don't think about that._  He shook his head and focused on the building, which he was getting closer to by the second. Hopefully, the attacker would focus all the Shiki on him as he drew nearer instead of continuing to attack the others, though Kageyama didn't get why he didn't just attack multiple people at once if he had several spirits. Maybe he could only use one at a time, or maybe he had some kind of strategy...

Speaking of Shiki, another one came flying at him, barely a blur from how fast it was going. Kageyama couldn't slice through it at this angle, but he managed to deflect it just barely, sending it flying over his shoulder. It left a thin slice across his cheek and he winced, wiping the blood away. Why were they getting so much faster?

It didn't matter, anyway: He was approaching the building now. The wall was barely a foot away, and Kageyama could see a dark figure crouched behind it. If they threw a Shiki at him now, it would probably make a direct hit, but Kageyama didn't care. Reaching the wall, he vaulted himself over it—and right on top of the man crouched there.

For a moment, there was a scuffle, but then Kageyama was roughly thrown off, striking the floor with enough force to knock the breath out of him. He pushed himself up by the elbows, gasping for air, and his eyes fell upon the one who had been attacking them.

His breath was sucked right back out again as their eyes locked.  _It was the man from the shop_. The man who had terrified Hinata so much he ran away was standing right in front of him.

Kageyama was on his feet faster than the blink of an eye, leveling his knife at the stranger with fresh panic blossoming in his chest. "Wh-what are you doing here? Who are you?"

Just like before, the stranger's features were blurred and indistinct, and his dark eyes were still the only clear thing about him. They were somehow  _darker_ than black, shining with an odd red light that sent shivers down Kageyama's spine. He felt spikes of anger in his chest, steadying his previously shaking arm.  _I was right. It_ is _him._

"How dare you show your face here."

A laugh bubbled out of the man's throat, a grating, annoying sound full of amusement. "That's funny. I don't believe we've met before, little psychic."

Kageyama's shoulders shook with rage. "You..." The knife in his hand grew hotter as he pointed it at the man threateningly. "Don't play dumb. If you don't tell me why you're following me and why you attacked us, then I swear I'll kill you." As he spoke, he fumbled in his back pocket for a paralysis talisman. He wasn't about to let this creep escape again.

The man tapped his chin with a blurry finger in mock-thought. "Hmmm. Well, I guess you could say I'm taking care of a problem before it escalates." His eyes narrowed as a sickeningly sweet smile split across his face, teeth perfectly white and straight. "And  _you're_  in my way."

"You don't scare me," Kageyama told him cooly, hands steadying as his fingers finally found the paper he was looking for and gripped it solidly. "Why was Hinata so scared of you? Did you do something to him?"

Again; a grating laugh. "Oh, you mean that little, annoying redheaded thing you're so attached to? I didn't do anything to him... not  _yet_ , anyway."

At the clear threat, Kageyama tightened his fingers against the knife in his hand. He wanted to nail this guy right between the eyes with it, but he knew he needed to capture him and bring him out to the others. "Laugh all you want now. You won't find your situation so  _funny_  in a few seconds." He took a step closer, not wanting to give the man space to run once he pulled out the talisman.

He still didn't seem perturbed, placing a hand on his hip nonchalantly. It looked odd, like the distorted image on a television. "Oh, should I be  _scared_ , then? Maybe if it was your blonde friend or your boss, I would be a bit concerned, but  _you_? What could  _you_  possibly do to me?"

"You'll see."

He was close enough now.

Lunging forward, Kageyama drew the paper out of his pocket and reached forward to smack it against the man's shoulder. He lurched backward trying to avoid it, but the only thing there was the wall.  _Got you._  Kageyama closed the gap between them and struck him with the talisman, but right as it stuck against his coat, a swirling gray portal opened up on the previously empty surface of the wall and the man was swallowed up.

He—along with the portal and the talisman—disappeared, just in time for Kageyama to smack face-first into the wall.

***  *  *  *  ***

" _OUCH_!" Kageyama popped up like a jack-in-the-box—letting out a long string of creative swears—and pushed himself to his feet, looking around for any sign of the man who he was now dead-set on strangling... but there was nothing. He had completely vanished, as if he had never been there at all.

" _Dammit_!" Kageyama's fist smacked against the concrete floor and he sunk into a sitting position against the wall, dragging his hands across his face with a low groan. "How could I let him get away?! I  _literally_  had him right in the palm of my hand!" He let his head fall to his knees and tried not to scream out of frustration.

"Shit... If only I hadn't wasted so much time asking him about Hinata and—" Kageyama's head snapped up hearing himself say the name, body stiffening as his memory came flooding back. "Hinata!" He was on his feet in seconds, swinging himself back over the wall to take in the damage done.

Holes littered the ground, still steaming from where Kageyama had shot down the Shiki he couldn't disperse. The barrier had singed the ground in a perfect circle around the gathered psychics, who were struggling with the last bits of energy from the wayline.

Hinata was still on the ground nearby, but Yachi was beside him now, plastering healing talismans over his wounds. The crystal had lost its previous blinding brightness and the whistling sound no longer filled the air.

_Thank god. It looks like everything went okay, even without the barrier._  Kageyama let out a breathy sigh.  _What a relief..._

Wasting no more time, he sprinted back over to Yachi and Hinata, collapsing on his knees and struggling to breathe. His muscles ached even more than before, but he didn't really care. Kageyama grabbed the ginger by the shoulders and looked into his eyes worriedly. "Shōyō,  _are you okay_?" He didn't even care if Yachi made fun of him now: Hinata was more important.

"I'm okay." The boy smiled up at him weakly. "I'm just glad nothing happened to you."

"You..." Kageyama clicked his tongue in annoyance, whacking Hinata hard on the top of his head; feeling all worry leave him instantly, replaced by irritation. "You dumbass! You're  _such_  an idiot!"

" _Owwww_ , why'd you do that?!" Hinata whined, clutching his head with both hands.

Kageyama sat back on his heels, crossing his arms and looking away with an irate huff. "You shouldn't have told me you were fine when you weren't. If I hadn't broken the barrier, you would probably be dead. Twice-over dead." He wanted to smack the boy again. "Seriously... I was so  _worried_  about you, you idiot."

Hinata's frown softened into a goofy grin. "I'm sorry, Tobio!"

"No, you're not!" Kageyama scoffed, smacking him on the arm. "Look at how happy you are! You didn't listen to anything I just said, did you, stupid? Hey, quit looking at me like that! And stop  _smiling_!"

Yachi, getting annoyed at their bickering, pinched both of their ears and glared at them sternly when they looked at her. "Both of you, cut it out! Do you know how much  _trouble_  you caused? Kageyama, you broke a psychic barrier in the middle of a dangerous and important ritual, and Hinata, you should've been keeping an eye out like I told you!  _Anything_  could've happened! Someone could've  _died_!" She ended the statement by stamping her foot and looking between the two of them, as if waiting for an explanation.

Hinata glanced at his feet sheepishly. "I'm really sorry, Yacchan..."

"Me too..." Kageyama stretched the fabric of his sleeves, embarrassed by what he'd done. It  _was_  irresponsible of him to break through the barrier like that, even if Hinata was hurt. She was right: Anything could've happened. Someone else could've been seriously injured, or worse. And it was all that man's fault...

"Ah!" His eyes widened and Kageyama's head snapped back up to look at Yachi, who was still steaming mad. "Yachi, I have something to tell you!" His lips formed a grim line and his voice took on a more serious tone. "Something important..."


	14. Soul Sucker

After he'd filled in Yachi on everything that had happened, including the man's unnerving visit to the shop and Hinata's confounding news about his soul, she looked—ironically—like she'd seen a ghost. Kageyama was almost afraid to talk to her. "Are you okay, Yachi?"

She looked up at him, and her face was pale and clearly shaken. "I— I'm fine." She let out an unsteady breath and held out a hand for balance, like she was in danger of tipping over; not exactly supporting her statement. "This is just...  _not_  good news."

"What should we do?" Kageyama asked worriedly, wringing his shirt between his hands impatiently. He was still angry at himself for letting the man slip away. If he'd moved just one second earlier, the creep wouldn't have escaped. Now he was out there still, and who knew what he would do next.

His threat towards Hinata still echoed in Kageyama's head like a broken record.  _I didn't do anything to him... yet._  What was he planning to do? It scared him so much, he wanted to throw up. It had taken him this long to realize that Hinata was more important to them than he'd realized, and if anything happened to him now... Kageyama wasn't sure if he could handle it.

"Are you alright?" A cool hand hovered over his shoulder and Kageyama was startled out of his thoughts to find Hinata staring at him with concerned chocolate eyes, his touch barely a whisper. At least he wasn't freezing anymore—that was definitely a good sign. Still, Kageyama had been utterly terrified when he'd watched him get hit by those Shiki...

He shivered remembering the pain scrawled across the boy's face in vivid detail, like a scar in his mind that would never go away. _I don't ever want to see that again._

Another thought, much worse, was: _What would've happened if I hadn't broken the barrier in time?_

Kageyama could picture Hinata's body shattering like glass and disappearing right in front of him...

"I'm fine," he said quickly, shaking off the images with determination. He needed to stay strong. If anyone was going to catch this guy, it  _was_  going to be him. To confirm this, Kageyama nodded once to himself and then smiled at Hinata to reassure him. "Don't worry: Everything's fine now."

The redhead smiled back, his hand warming against Kageyama's shoulder. It turned cold again a second later when he frowned. "But... what about the wayline?" Both of them turned to look back at the congregation of psychics still gathered around the staff, which was progressively losing its glow. "Did breaking the barrier mess it up?"

"Luckily, no," Yachi intervened, standing beside them with her arms crossed. "They were able to keep it together, but the IBPA will  _not_  be happy about this. You seriously endangered their already volatile operation." She sighed. "Luckily, everything seems to have gone fine, but I don't imagine they'll be thrilled with you."

As if her words had summoned them, two IBPA agents broke away from the circle, where the reparation appeared to be wrapping up, and stormed towards them with glares. They stopped in front of Kageyama and he swallowed nervously, preparing himself for the harsh scolding he was about to receive.

"How  _dare_  you put my agents at risk!" It was Iwaizumi who spoke, jabbing a finger into Kageyama's chest roughly. "What exactly did you think you were doing?" He held up a hand when he tried to respond and continued on, voice growing steadily angrier. "You know what, I don't even want to hear it." Gritting his teeth, he gripped Kageyama's collar and shook him. "I have half a mind to put you in a cell, you daft punk."

" _Stop it!_ " Hinata exclaimed, startling both Kageyama and Iwaizumi as he jumped between them, shoving the IBPA agent backward in a gust of cold wind. He placed himself between the two of them defensively, almost seeming to glow like the sun as he shouted at the man. "It wasn't his fault! He was just trying to protect me!"

His hands clenched into fists at his sides as the air around him grew colder. Frost crept across the grass by his feet, and his jaw was clenched so tightly, it shook. "If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have had to break it at all, so blame me: I don't care!" He whipped his head up to glare at Iwaizumi. "Just don't yell at Tobio! It's not his fault!"

Kageyama let out a surprised exhale, and it had grown so cold, a pallid cloud frosted out in front of him. The area around Hinata shimmered with little white flakes: Somehow, he had turned the air around himself cold enough for snow. Kageyama had never seen him like this before. He knew that the boy's temperature tended to fluctuate with his emotions, but this was just...  _crazy_.

Finally, the IBPA agent broke the taut silence hanging in the air. "I don't care  _whose_ fault it was: Both of you get out of here, before I change my mind." He turned to shoot Kageyama a warning look. "And if I see either of you anywhere near here again, I  _won't_  hesitate to lock you up."

***  *  *  *  ***

Even though he wanted to fight back, Yachi forced Kageyama to head back to Madoka's shop with Hinata. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he was still fuming when they got back. After Hinata had stood up for him like that, Kageyama felt like a coward for not doing anything, even though Hinata kept assuring him it was fine.

"Those jerks think they know everything," he muttered, throwing his coat down on the shop's counter and collapsing on the chair behind it. "And the way that jerk Iwaizumi talked to us made me want to punch him." He smacked the table with a clenched fist and gritted his teeth in irritation.

Hinata stood behind him with a helpless expression as he tried to diffuse the situation. "I-it's really not that big a deal! Besides, Yacchan said not to pick a fight with them." He laughed nervously. "Really, I didn't mean to yell at him like that..." He huffed, crossing his arms childishly. "I just got so  _mad_  when he was saying all that bad stuff to you, I couldn't help it!"

Kageyama flushed hearing that, turning his head away from Hinata in embarrassment. "Yeah, um... t-thanks for that, by the way."

The words were muttered under his breath, but somehow, Hinata still heard him. Kageyama could tell he was beaming without looking over just by how happy his voice sounded. "No problem! You  _did_  sort of save my life, after all."

"I guess..." Kageyama stared at the table and frowned wonderingly. He hadn't given himself much time to think about it, but how had mystery man Hyde escaped, exactly? He'd created some sort of portal, but how? And why had Yachi been so concerned hearing about him?

That reminded him; she and Madoka really should've been back at the shop by then. Had she texted him? Kageyama straightened to dig his phone out of his pocket to check. Hinata hovered over his shoulder like a fly and he pulled up his messages. As expected, there was one text:

**From: Yachi at 1754:**  _Kageyama, you can head home after locking up the shop. After I told my mom about what you said, she ran off somewhere and told me to go back home. It should be fine. The wayline was successfully repaired and strengthened, so there's no worry there. I'll see you back at the shop tomorrow._

Kageyama wanted to throw his phone at the wall but resisted the urge. Instead, he stood up, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.  _Stupid Yachi. Stupid IBPA. Stupid Madoka. Stupid disappearing creepy ghost bastard._

Hinata hurried after him with several confused exclamations. "Hey, where are you going? What did she say?"

Pausing to put his jacket on, Kageyama glanced back at him with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm just going out to talk to Yachi. Stay here and watch the shop, okay? I'll be back soon." Hand on the doorknob, he stopped again, hiding his flushed face by pulling up the collar of his coat. "And... when I get back, I need to tell you something."

Not sticking around to hear the ginger's answer, he retreated through the door and out into the cool night air to head to Yachi's apartment.

Hopefully, all his problems and questions would be resolved that very night.

***  *  *  *  ***

The walk to Yachi's seemed much longer at night, and the temperature dropped as the sun set, forcing Kageyama to bury his hands in his pockets and hunker down in his jacket. Luckily, he was already at the door to her building, punching in the code with shaking frozen fingers.

As he walked towards the elevator, Kageyama rehearsed what he would say.  _You know more about that man than you're telling me, and I demand answers. Why did he attack the wayline? You can't keep me in the dark forever!_

He kept repeating it to himself inwardly as he rang the bell. Sure, it was a little harsh, but it was the best way to find out the truth. Kageyama hated secrets as much as surprises, and this one was especially irritating.

It didn't take long for Yachi to answer the door in her typical breathless manner, as if she'd been in the middle of something. She seemed to take a few moments to place him, opening the door wider to reveal that she wore only one sock patterned with fried eggs, blue sweatpants, and a baggy caramel sweater. "What are you doing here, Kageyama? I told you to go home."

"Uh..." He cleared his throat, having temporarily forgotten his speech. "You know more than you're telling me, and I demand answers!" Good. Not exactly what he'd been going for, but... good.

Surprisingly, Yachi didn't say a word in protest. She simply sighed tiredly, opening the door and gesturing him inside. "Fine. Just... take a seat over there, please."

Relieved that he'd won, Kageyama did as instructed, taking a seat on the couch. He watched as she sank into a cross-legged position on the floor across from him, pulling off her other egg sock and tossing it away in the process, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater.

She wasted no time diving right in. "Remember how you told me this guy had the aura of both a spirit and a human?"

Kageyama nodded. "Yeah? So, what does that mean?"

Yachi pursed her lips and wrung her hands together nervously. "Well... nothing good. To simplify things, the man you ran into is something we call an  _Ikiryō_ , or a living ghost."

"A  _living_  ghost?" Kageyama scoffed. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Let me explain." Yachi crawled over to the coffee table and shifted some things over to reveal an old black notebook. She opened it to a blank page and retrieved a pen, drawing the rough shape of a human. "Humans, as you know, are entirely living. However, in some cases, that can change." She drew a squiggly line around the shape. "Some humans' souls can, if the individual is driven by an intense urge, slip from their bodies.

"In these certain cases, the person's separated spirit becomes what we call  _Ikiryō_. Once this happens, the human will be forced to forever wander the line between the mortal and spiritual worlds. Because of this, they are filled with an endless longing, which warps their spirit and eventually turns them into evil entities."

"Evil entities?" Kageyama muttered nervously. "That doesn't sound good."

"It isn't," Yachi confirmed grimly. "Imbued with an insatiable hunger, the  _Ikiryō_  are driven to hunt other spirits and devour them to increase their own spiritual power. By the time they consume their first victim, their soul is warped into that of a much worse spirit."

"They...  _eat_  other spirits?" Kageyama felt a little bit queasy. "But somehow they're still human?"

"In a sense, yes." Yachi turned a page and drew a new human figure, this time colored half black. "When the soul of an  _Ikiryō_ warps, their spirit essentially splits. The host is inhabited by two sides of the same spirit; the part that is still human, or the  _Ikiryō_ , and the part that is now evil, the  _Onryō_. By then, it's too late to help them. We call them them  _Arehate teta_ ; the Forsaken."

"So... this guy is an evil spirit? One that devours  _souls_?"

"That's right." Yachi closed the notebook, eyes downcast. "My mom went to report it to the IBPA. As much as we hate them, they're our best shot at catching this guy." She sighed dejectedly, tossing the pen on the table. "Of course, it will be a lot harder since he can slip in and out of his human body whenever he wants."

Kageyama startled. "Wait, so the form I saw  _wasn't_  his real body?"

"No, it was his  _Tamashi_ ; the form his soul takes, half  _Onryō_  and half  _Ikiryō_." She exhaled helplessly. "I don't know how we're supposed to find him like  _this_... It seems impossible."

"I think... I might be able to help," Kageyama said slowly. "I've had the most contact with him, and I noticed a few things. To my best guess, the things he used to attack us at the wayline were Shiki, which means he must have some sort of psychic power. Also, I was  _this close_  to capture him when he suddenly created a portal out of nowhere and disappeared."

"That makes sense," Yachi said with a frown. "Since  _Ikiryō_  wander the line between Yomi, land of the dead, and Chikyū, the world of the living, they can freely pass between the two. The man likely slipped into Yomi to escape you, although I still have no idea why he would attack the wayline, or appear to you at the shop..."

_I didn't do anything to him... yet._

Kageyama's eyes widened as the sentence flashed through his mind. "I think I may know why..." He ran shaking hands through his hair, taking several unsteady breaths. "Earlier, I confronted him at the factory, and he said— or, he made it  _seem_  like... like he was after  _Hinata_ , for some reason."

"Hinata...?"After a moment of thought, Yachi suddenly shot to her feet, crossing the coffee table to grip Kageyama's shoulders, nearly fast enough to startle him. "Oh God,  _Hinata_! Where is he?!" she asked urgently, shaking him harshly. " _Tell me_  he's with you, Kageyama!"

"He's— I l-left him back at the shop."

A feeling of dread settled in Kageyama's stomach like a heavy ball of lead as Yachi's hands slipped from his shoulders, her face deathly pale. "Oh no... no, no, no..." She placed her hands on either side of her head, clearly trying not to panic. "Okay, okay... Take a deep breath, Hitoka..."

After several shaky exhalations, she turned to him with a grave expression that sent shivers down Kageyama's spine. "We need to get there  _now_ —before it's too late."


	15. Chasing the Sun

Kageyama's breath tore through his lungs in harsh gasps as he and Yachi sprinted towards Madoka's shop through the frigid, dark streets. The sun had sunk below the horizon by then, rendering the surrounding landscape pitch black, the moon blocked out by angry gray clouds. The scent of coming rain lingered in the air like invisible smoke.

After a few more minutes of running, Yachi came to a rough stop at a traffic light and pulled Kageyama's sleeve to halt his progress. "Wait." She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath, and released his arm in favor of searching through her pockets for her phone. When she finally found it, her shaking fingers flew across the keys and she held the device to her ear anxiously.

As it rang, she finally addressed him. "Kageyama, I have to find my mother. The two of us aren't qualified to handle this on our own."

He wanted to argue, but she stopped him by holding a hand over his mouth. "Shh! This isn't something we can argue about." She cursed loudly, tapping the 'end call' button on her screen and sticking the phone back in her pocket angrily. "Voicemail."

"We can't just wait here," Kageyama insisted, clenching his fists impatiently. "Hinata could be—!"

"I know!" Yachi interrupted, glaring up at him harshly. "I  _know_ ," she repeated, face sinking as she dragged her hands through her hair, letting out an uneven breath and trying to remain composed. "Alright, alright... I have an idea." She dug around in her pockets as she spoke. "I have some protective talismans on me. I'll give one to you, and you can go back to the shop and protect Hinata while I go find my mother."

"Will one be enough?" Kageyama questioned uncertainly. "If this guy is as powerful as you say, then..."

"It's fine," Yachi cut him off, finally finding the talisman in her jacket and wrenching it free. "My mom made these, so they're stronger than ours. If you place it either on the shop's door or have Hinata hold it, it should be enough to protect him until we get there."

She pressed the paper into his hands, meeting his eyes with a resolute expression. "Everything will be alright. You can do this, Kageyama."

He hesitated only a second more before nodding in agreement. "Okay. I'll go." As they turned to part ways, he rested a hand on the girl's shoulder with a small nod. "Be safe, Yachi."

After a moment, she returned his gesture with a reassuring smile. "I'll see you soon;  _both_  of you."

Kageyama released her, watching as she turned and started jogging back the way they'd come. His lips tightened with worry as he looked down at the talisman clenched in his fist. "I hope you're right..."

***  *  *  *  ***

When he reached the shop, Kageyama slowed his pace, keeping his guard up as he approached. It didn't look like anything was wrong: The shop was still lit up warmly from within, the sign on the door reading 'Closed'—everything just the same as he'd left it half an hour ago.

Still, a feeling of tension lay coiled in Kageyama's stomach, like a parasite feeding off his fear as he crept towards the door, breath held in anticipation. The door was foggy from the cold, so he had no choice but to wrench it open and hope he didn't get shot in the face point-black with a Shiki.

Luckily, no ghostly projectile struck him as he did just that, but a gust of cold wind hit him, even stronger than the one from outside. Immediately, the panic that he'd been holding back blossomed like a flower, encompassing Kageyama's entire body as his breath halted in his chest at the sight in front of him.

The shop's interior lay in ruins, shelves of oddities tipped over, spilling their wares across the floor. Broken glass was strewn everywhere, the contents of the shattered bottles leaving large puddles on the wooden flooring. Books were heaped haphazardly in piles, some torn in half or missing several pages. All in all, it looked like a tornado had swept through the place.

But Kageyama could care less about that.

As he stepped through the threshold, avoiding a large puddle of smoking red liquid, he shouted at the top of his lungs to make sure the noise reached every inch of the building. "Shōyō! Are you here?!"

He cursed as his foot caught on a discarded metal knight's helmet, sending him careening into the shop's counter. Glass bit into his palms, but Kageyama ignored it. "Dumbass, where  _are_  you?!"

There was no answer: The shop was completely silent save for the crunching of glass as Kageyama pushed himself back up and weakly stumbled towards the back room. The door was closed, but there was a huge black gash in the wood, almost like a scorch mark.

Kageyama pushed it open harshly, swallowing down the lump forming his throat as he found this room as empty as the other. He could feel blood running down his palms in thick rivulets as the strength finally fled from him, sending him crashing to his knees amidst a pile of more destroyed books.

"Dammit..." He leaned forward and slammed a bloody fist against the floor, sending pain flashing through his wrist. "Dammit!" His body gave out and Kageyama collapsed on his side, feeling tears streaming from his eyes like broken faucets. He'd never cried like this before, but it just wouldn't stop.

_Why_? Why did all of this have to happen? If that idiot Hinata had never caught his volleyball on that April night so long ago, none of this mess would've happened. Everything would be different. Kageyama would have no idea about his psychic powers, and Hinata would be  _safe_.

Reaching into his pocket, Kageyama grabbed the protective talisman and threw it as far as he could, screaming at the top of his lungs in anger before collapsing into a ball and rocking back and forth, trying to staunch the never-ending flow of tears from his eyes.

Why did the world have to be so cruel? It wasn't fair.

As he sat there, sobbing and shaking, Kageyama's stinging eyes somehow fell upon the table. It was still upright, though its surface had been swept free of materials to make room for a single scrap of rice paper—more of a scroll, really—stabbed into the wood with an old, rustic-looking dagger.

Kageyama bolted upright, nearly losing his balance as he stumbled his way over to the table on hands and knees, crawling his way to a standing position to peer down at the scroll. It was old, yellow, and curling at the corners, but the writing was fresh. And it  _definitely_  hadn't been there before.

As he plucked the knife from the table to free the note, Kageyama recognized it as one of theirs that had been on display along with a set of Imperial Gold armor. Frowning, he put the weapon aside and picked up the scroll. There was a single character written sloppily across the surface, clearly done in a hurry: 捜す.

Kageyama recognized this character as one of the symbols Yachi had taught him: 'Search.' It was a  _tracking_   _talisman_.

"Ha!" He started laughing giddily, stumbling away from the table while gripping the note with both hands, careening towards the front of the shop. "Hinata, you brilliant idiot!" Somehow, during the struggle, he had managed to buy himself enough time to create a talisman that Kageyama could use to find him.

That dumbass was pretty smart, after all.

***  *  *  *  ***

The talisman's weak spiritual trail led Kageyama out of the shop and down several blocks, past the dark forest and the graveyard to an old, abandoned crossroads in the middle of nowhere. As he approached, Kageyama gripped the silver knife he'd grabbed back at the shop tightly, feeling the metal press into his cuts with cool reassurance. This would be the second time he'd gone head-to-head with Hyde, but now, he knew what he was.

_An Ikiryō..._  He'd be facing someone half-ghost, half-human. How was one supposed to fight something like  _that_? Even Yachi had said they weren't capable of dealing with him on their own, and he was there by himself, far less experienced than she was. Was this really a good idea? Probably not.

It didn't matter, Kageyama reasoned, gripping the knife tighter as he approached the center of the crossroads. He couldn't just stand by and do nothing when he knew Hinata was in danger.

_Imbued with an insatiable hunger, the Ikiryō are driven to hunt other spirits and devour them to increase their own power._ Kageyama shivered remembering Yachi's cryptic definition. Hinata was out there somewhere at that very moment with one of those monsters. Who knew what he'd done to him...

_Don't think about it,_  Kageyama urged himself, shaking his head and steeling his resolve.

He combed the desolate area with wary eyes, searching for any change in the blackness. He was beginning to lose hope when he spotted a flash of white a ways away, in the center of the huge field behind the crossroads. He started running without pausing to think, making a beeline for the bright light.

The wind blew around Kageyama in cold gusts, and the rain that had been holding off for so long finally started to fall, going from a gentle drizzle to a downpour in mere seconds. He forced his way through the storm persistently, barely able to see four inches in front of him but determined to reach Hinata.

Finally, he pushed himself forward another step, and ahead, a flash of lightning illuminated two figures squaring off in the field. Kageyama wasted no time darting forward, slashing a Shiki out of the air with his knife and falling to his knees with a grunt from the force of the strike.

The spirits seemed much stronger this time, and he couldn't kill them without a purifying talisman. He'd have to find some other way.

Struggling back to his feet amid the gales of wind and rain, Kageyama wiped water off his knife and turned, nearly falling again as his legs weakened with relief. "Shōyō!" Stumbling to reach the boy, he dropped his knife on the grass to wrap his arms around the smaller boy. Cold seeped into him as he clung on for dear life. "You damn  _idiot_..."

"Tobio!" Hinata squeezed him around the middle, laughing happily through his tears as he buried his face in Kageyama's neck, shoulders still quaking from fear. "You— You found me!"

Kageyama pulled back and brushed the tears from his face, feeling his temperature warming as the boy finally stopped shaking. "Only because of that clue you gave me. That was pretty clever, especially for a dumbass like you."

The ginger smiled, understanding his hidden compliment, and hugged him even tighter. "Thank you..."

"I hate to interrupt this little  _reunion_ of yours," a gravelly voice interrupted from behind, "but you're in my way once  _again_ , irritating little psychic."

Releasing Hinata, Kageyama whipped around, pulling them both to a standing position and pushing the shorter boy behind him protectively. He raised his knife defensively, having retrieved it from the wet grass, and squared off with Hyde. "To get to him, you'll have to go through me, creep." His eyes narrowed as a sardonic smile played across his lips. "And I'm  _not_  going to let you get away a second time."

The  _Ikiryō_  laughed, his distorted face contorting in a grotesque way, befitting a spirit called a 'soul sucker.' "Ah, that's priceless,  _really_. I wasn't aware you two were so close. You were arguing so avidly in your shop the first time I dropped in. It seems I misjudged your connection." He sighed in mock concern. "Oh well... I'll just have to kill the both of you."

Kageyama narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, letting out an irritated scoff. "Bastard. I'd like to see you try."

"Be careful," Hinata whispered, drawing his attention for a moment. "He's using those things from before, but they're way stronger now..."

"Indeed." The man laughed amusedly, raising a hand as Kageyama turned back to glare at him. "And  _this_  time, you don't have your pesky trick to get rid of them." His smile widened, white teeth gleaming like razors. "I hope you can dodge these while protecting your friend. If you get hit, it will  _really_  hurt."

Before Kageyama had time to respond, flashes of white came shooting at him from ahead, so fast he could barely see them. A startled gasp slipped from his lips as he swung out blindly, catching one of the Shiki and sending it ricocheting off in another direction while the other just barely grazed him.

It sent pain spiking across his skin and Kageyama fell to his knees with a yell, feeling like a hole had been ripped in his side, but when he looked down, there was just a tiny cut.  _What the..._  He had little time to be shocked because another wave was coming for him now. He had no choice but to struggle back to his feet and keep going.

He managed to strike both of the spirits this time, but before he had time to celebrate, a third from the left came whirring straight towards him. Kageyama stumbled back, but his delayed reaction allowed the Shiki to catch his left arm, white-hot pain enveloping it like a real fire was scorching away the skin.

Kageyama let out an agonized scream, clutching his arm to him as he tried to stay upright. Once again, the thing had only left a tiny scratch. Somehow, the Shiki now had the ability to inflict a large amount of pain through the briefest of contact. No wonder Hinata had warned him.

This fight was going to be tougher than he'd thought.


	16. Downpour

The rain came down like drops of solid ice, running down Kageyama's back and soaking his clothes, sending shivers down his spine. Above, thunder boomed repetitively like a god striking a gong, followed by flashes of lightning brighter than a camera flash.

Kageyama slashed at Shiki blindly through the darkness, blinking rain out of his eyes and struggling to catch his breath.

There was just no end to the barrage of spirits being thrown at him. The second one was dispersed, three more took its place. Kageyama had good stamina, but not good enough to deal with an endless supply of ghostly projectiles. He knew he had to figure out a way to get rid of them quickly or this battle would end in no time—and not with his victory.

But with rain pouring down like it was the end of the world, it was getting harder and harder to fight. Water was dripping into Kageyama's eyes, and his knife was becoming slippery and difficult to hold onto. Somehow, he managed to keep his grip on it, but the Shiki had no trouble fighting in the rain, and the slightest touch from one sent spikes of pain through his entire body. At this rate, his stamina would be completely gone in just a few minutes.

"Getting tired yet?" Hyde asked sardonically as Kageyama slashed another spirit out of the sky.

He gritted his teeth in response, too exhausted to speak as ragged breaths tore through his chest.

The storm continued on in full force above, lighting splitting the sky apart as thunder shook the earth, rain turning the dirt into thick mud underneath Kageyama's feet. As he dodged another spirit, his foot inevitably slipped and he landed hard on his back, the breath knocked out of him.

Coughing rain out of his throat and on shaking legs, Kageyama pushed himself to his knees and tried to rise, but the simple task felt impossible to achieve. He would've given up right then if it weren't for Hinata's quaking form behind him, whispering his name unsteadily. He  _couldn't_  leave him out here with that psychopath Hyde.

"Come on," he growled aloud, slamming his fist into the cold mud. "Stand up. _Stand up_."

From behind, a chilly presence rested a hand on his shoulder: Hinata. "Are— are you okay?" His voice was shaking as much as Kageyama's legs, and his temperature was rapidly growing colder. He was terrified.

"I'm fine. I can keep going." Kageyama, instilled with renewed determination, slammed one foot after the other against the ground and raised himself up slowly, gripping Hinata's hand and giving it a quick, reassuring squeeze. "Just stay behind me, alright? Everything will be fine."

From in front of them, Hyde laughed, drawing Kageyama's attention as he clapped his blurred hands with deliberate slowness. "You're brave, psychic; I'll give you that." With a snap of his fingers, six more bright spots of light blinked into existence around him. His dark eyes glittered with a cruel amusement that made Kageyama want to punch him even more. "Unfortunately, I'm  _leagues_  above your level."

Before Kageyama had a chance to respond, Hyde flicked his wrist and all six Shiki came flying straight at him.

***  *  *  *  ***

"Hurry," Yachi gasped, peering through the foggy window of her mother's car with anxious eyes. Madoka sat behind the wheel beside her, bent over it with tight lips and a fixed resolve. She responded to her daughter with something reassuring, but Yachi couldn't hear it over the rapid beating of her heart.

Kageyama's abilities had come a long way since their first meeting back in April, but even  _she_  couldn't deal with an  _Ikiryō_ , and she'd been training practically her whole life. If that monster had somehow gotten to Hinata first, or Kageyama hadn't given him the protective talisman, one or both of them could be severely hurt, or worse...

Yachi bit her lip, fingernails digging painfully into the soft skin of her palms as they approached the shop. _I_ can't _think like that. I trust Kageyama. No matter what happened, he can handle himself. I just... need to have faith._

The car pulled to a stop and Yachi flung open the door, sprinting over to the shop door with her mother right behind her. When they stumbled inside, Yachi's breath left her in a sharp exhale. The place was in ruins, the shop's wares strewn across the floor like a twister had gone through it. As they waded through all the debris towards the back, the destruction only got worse and worse.

The condition of the back room was perhaps the most ramshackle, the couch overturned and hundreds of destroyed books lying everywhere, a discarded knife sitting on the scratched-up tabletop. There was no sign of Kageyama or Hinata anywhere, and based on the condition of the shop...

"Hitoka, look here." Her mother was kneeling next to a crumpled scrap of paper a few feet away. When she crouched down beside her, Madoka carefully unfurled it to reveal the protection talisman—the very same one she had given to Kageyama.

Yachi covered her mouth, her eyes stinging with tears that were struggling to fall. "Oh no... No, no, no... The talisman is still here. Something must've happened." She shot to her feet, holding her head between her hands in the beginning stages of panic. "We have to go after them! We need to— need to—"

" _Calm yourself_." Madoka took her roughly by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes, her expression stern but calming. "This is no time to lose your head, Hitoka. This is serious. You need to take a deep breath, and then we'll discuss this rationally. Alright?"

"O-okay." Yachi let out a ragged breath and felt the tight feeling in her chest begin to relax. After a few more breaths, her head was clearer, her body stopped shaking, and she was finally able to meet her mother's gaze. "Alright. I'm better now. What are we going to do?"

Madoka released her, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. "I'm going to call the IBPA and go after the  _Ikiryō_  myself. I want  _you_  to take the talisman and go find Hinata and Kageyama. The likeliest scenario I can imagine is that Kageyama arrived as the  _Ikiryō_  was attacking and fled with Hinata. As you know, the protection talisman can also be used for binding, so he may have left it here to escape."

She finished her text message and sent it, sliding the phone back into her coat pocket and pressing the paper into Yachi's hand. "As soon as you locate your friends, call the IBPA  _immediately_  and tell them your location. They'll come pick you up and escort you back here safely, where you'll cast a barrier on the shop and remain until I return. Understood?"

Yachi nodded hesitantly. "Got it." She wanted to refuse, to say it was too dangerous, but instead, she slid the paper into her pocket and turned to go. It was foolish to be selfish now: Her friends needed her. But she did pause to give her mother a quick, tight hug. "Stay safe, okay?"

"I will." Madoka smoothed her hair back with a smile. "Now go. We've got no time to waste."

***  *  *  *  ***

Yachi left the shop and headed towards the forest, hand cinched around the talisman in her pocket. The rain poured down in thick sheets and a cold wind bit into her from every direction. In this storm, it would be even harder to find Kageyama and Hinata, but she could still faintly sense Hinata's presence on the air, though she'd have to act quickly, before it was all washed away.

"Damn this rain," she muttered, 3forcing her way through a particularly strong gust of wind. A storm this strong never meant anything good. Luckily, the forest was getting closer, and Hinata's presence was slightly stronger in this direction, though it was constantly shifting, threatening to disappear.

"Yachi! Yachi, over here!"

From the depths of the rain, a path seemed to part, revealing two hazy figures approaching. As they neared, Yachi could make out the familiar shapes of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. When they reached her, the rain receded slightly, leaving the three of them in a patch of dryness—a perk of Tsukishima's  _Ameotoko_  abilities.

Yachi shook water from her coat with a sigh of relief. "Thank you. What are you two doing out in this storm?"

"We saw your two  _idiots_  out here," Tuskishima responded dryly.

Yamaguchi smacked him on the arm with a scolding glare before turning back to her. "What Tsukki  _means_  to say is; we know where they are, and we'd like to help you."

"Wow..." Yachi blinked at the two of them in surprise, not expecting the helpful offer from someone like  _Tsukishima_. "Th-thank you. I was afraid I would lose the trail in this rain."

Crossing his arms, Tsukishima scowled up at the sky. "Tell me about it. What a pain.  _I_  certainly didn't start it."

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Anyway, Yachi, they were headed towards the old crossroads. We can take you there—"

"We''ll help, but we're  _not_  sticking around," Tsukishima interrupted sharply. "I don't want you getting us involved in any business with that soul sucker."

Yamaguchi looked like he was about to smack the rain spirit again, but Yachi quickly interjected before things could get violent. "That's fine! Thank you both for your help."

"No problem!" Yamaguchi smiled brightly before turning to the east, dragging a grimacing Tsukishima along with him. "It's this way! Follow us!"

***  *  *  *  ***

" _Ack_!" Kageyama collapsed to his knees with a grunt as a Shiki struck his left arm, sending spikes of pain shooting up to his shoulder. His knife fell to the ground with a wet splatter as he clutched his wounded arm to his chest with a curse.

Hinata crouched beside him with fearful concern. "Tobio! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine! G-get back!" Kageyama gritted out, shoving the boy behind him and propping himself up on one foot. He scooped his knife out of the mud and wiped it off on his jacket with a grimace as he pushed himself to his feet. Pain throbbed through his arm like it was broken, though he knew there would only be a little scratch if he looked. These Shiki's powers were seriously getting on his nerves now.

"Had enough yet?" Hyde's flick of the finger made more floating orbs of light appear in the air above his head, and Kageyama let out a tremulous sigh. These odds were  _impossible_. Could he keep fighting even though he knew he had a 0.0001% chance of winning? Anyone smart would've given up a long time ago.

Luckily, he was pretty damn stupid.  _And_  he still had a knife.

"I'm just getting started." Kageyama grinned, raising his weapon with a flourish. If he was going to be stupid, he might as well crank it up to 100%. "Come at me with all you've got."

This actually seemed to surprise Hyde. Of course, the astonished look on his blurry features quickly turned into an angry sneer. "You really  _are_  an insolent fool, aren't you?" He shook his head as more and more spirits appeared behind him. "Perhaps I can cure you of your idiocracy yet."

"Bring it on." Kageyama lowered into a fighting stance, feeling his fear dissipate. Even if he couldn't win, he'd give this bastard hell before he ever gave up, or let him anywhere near Hinata. "I'm ready for whatever you throw at me, creep."

The  _Ikiryō_  laughed mockingly. "Oh, I think I'll aim at another target, this time."

Kageyama didn't even have a chance to ponder his meaning before a line of Shiki came torpedoing at him full-speed. When he reached out to take down the first one, however, it dodged his swipe and swerved up. Kageyama's brain took a split second to ponder the action before his eyes widened in realization. He swung backward frantically, but another spirit struck him in the stomach, sending him crashing down with a sharp cry of pain.

"No!" He pushed himself to his feet as two Shiki struck Hinata and violently threw himself forward, knocking them both to the ground. Kageyama screamed as spirits struck him from every direction, feeling like he was burning up from the inside-out. Spasms of pain shook his whole body like electric shocks, but Kageyama held onto Hinata tightly, refusing to let him get hit.

Beneath him, the smaller boy screamed frantically for him to stop; to get off or he'd die. His hands shoved at Kageyama's chest, but he still refused to budge. He didn't think he could've moved even if he'd wanted to. The only things he could hear were Hinata screaming and Hyde laughing maniacally from what seemed like far, far away.

The last thing he registered was Hinata's cold arms wrapping around him. There was an especially loud crack of thunder and a sharp, familiar female voice yelling something intangible before darkness finally closed in on Kageyama, sending him spiraling into blissful unconsciousness.


	17. Wake Up

Kageyama awoke with a start, jerking upright in his bed with a cold sweat. He glanced around sharply, breathing rapidly as he frantically searched for Hyde and the Shiki being thrown at him, but there was nothing. He was sitting in his room, morning sunlight shining through the open window and a cool breeze tickling his bare torso.

As he pushed back his covers and stood up, Kageyama's brows furrowed in further confusion. He padded over to the window on bare feet and looked out to see his parents' cars pulling out of the driveway, the sky a clear and cloudless crystal blue, and frowned. "Wasn't it... raining before?"

He shut the window with a perplexed shake of the head and pulled on a discarded sweatshirt from the floor, pulling open his bedroom door and peering down the dark hallway suspiciously. How was he back in his house? Where was Hyde? And where was Hinata?

Maybe the battle had been won? Yes, and Yachi had brought him back home. It made sense... right? Or maybe it was all just a bad dream?

Still cautious, Kageyama trudged down the stairs and looked around the kitchen, startling when his eyes lit upon a familiar head of fiery orange curls. "Shōyō!"

" _Eek_!" Hinata let out a giggly sound of protest as Kageyama tackled him in a hug, nearly knocking them both onto the floor. "Ah, hey, get off me!" He finally pushed him off and shot him a weird look. "What's with you today? Usually, you call me something like dumbass and scold me for sitting at your table." He rested his chin in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

"What do you mean _did something happen_?" Kageyama stared at him in confusion. "Don't you... remember?" He took a seat beside the ginger hesitantly. "You know, the crossroads, the Shiki, the— the  _Ikiryō_?"

Hinata frowned. "The what?" He took a sip of Pocari Sweat from the bottle in his left hand and laughed lightly. "Are you still tired or something? I think you should go back to bed, Kageyama-kun!"

Kageyama froze. Very slowly, he glanced over at the boy with a wary gaze. "Hang on...  _how_  are you drinking that? Spirits don't drink. And you didn't call me by my first name." He stood up, nearly stumbling in his hurry, and backed up a step uneasily. "You used an honorific. You... you  _never_  do that."

Hinata blinked at him. "Huh? What do you mean?" He reached out and took Kageyama's hand, his palm smooth and warm. "What's wrong, Kageyama?"

"This isn't—" Kageyama pulled his hand away and shook his head. "This... isn't real. This  _can't_  be real. We were— we were just in the rain. You  _begged_  to use my first name. And you— you're drinking, and you're too  _warm_." He backed up another few steps as Hinata stood, his expression morphing from confusion to urgency as he lunged forward and gripped Kageyama by the shoulders, shaking him roughly.

"Wake up! Wake up, please wake up!" Hinata shook him harder, tears streaming down his face and falling horizontally, landing on Kageyama's cheeks, or maybe he was lying down now. Everything felt hazy. "Wake up, wake up, wake up! Please, please, please,  _please_!"

On the last 'please,' the world around them fractured, splitting apart and shattering like a hairbrush hitting a mirror. Hinata's broken image fell away from him as Kageyama tumbled down through the darkness, reaching upwards to try and stop himself from falling. Hinata's voice echoed all around him.

_Wake up!_

***  *  *  *  ***

" _Ah_!" Kageyama jerked upright, only to immediately collapse again as sharp spikes of pain rolled through him in agonizing waves. Blinking his eyes open, he saw Hinata's—the  _real_ Hinata's—tear-stained face floating above him. He bent over him with a relieved sob, his cold hand squeezing Kageyama's tightly. "Oh, thank god you're alright!" He looked over his shoulder to call to someone behind them. "Yacchan! He's awake!"

_Yachi...?_  Kageyama's foggy brain struggled to string coherent thoughts together as he stared up at Hinata's beautiful blurry face.  _When did she get here? Wasn't I fighting alone?_

"Get him out of here!" Yachi shouted back from somewhere close by, though Kageyama couldn't move his head to check. "He's in no condition to fight right now. Take the talisman and go back to the shop; quickly!"

Hinata nodded and grabbed Kageyama's arms, crouching down to pull him onto his back. Kageyama gave a weak cry as the pain increased, but he couldn't do anything to further protest as Hinata hiked him up higher with a hurried whisper of apology. As they began to move, Kageyama glimpsed Yachi over his shoulder, her hands glowing bright purple as she fought hand-to-hand with Hyde. Beside her, two others launched their own attacks—the rain spirit, Tsukishima, and his friend, Yamaguchi.

This was even more confusing. Kageyama couldn't remember anything past shielding Hinata from the barrage of Shiki. When had those three shown up, and why were Yachi's hands glowing like that? How long had he been passed out?

"It'll... be okay," Hinata grunted, struggling to carry Kageyama's weight as they trudged through the muddy field towards safety. "Yachi... has this... covered."

Still unable to speak, Kageyama groaned in response and rested his head on Hinata's shoulder, closing his eyes and trying to regain full motor functionality. It was like he'd woken up from a decade-long nap, not to mention his body felt like it was being run over  _repeatedly_  by a train. He couldn't really tell the extent of his injuries, but it must've been bad if he couldn't even muster up the strength to talk.

Hinata was still struggling to walk, stumbling over his feet in the wet, muddy grass leading to the crossroads. He kept cursing under his breath, mumbling to Kageyama that they'd be there in no time—though judging by his extremely concentrated expression, he was having trouble keeping  _himself_  up, let alone both of them.

"Shō..." he croaked, coughing as the words scraped across his dry throat. He swallowed a little rainwater and tried again. "Shōyō. Put me down."

"T-Tobio!" Hinata knelt down obediently and let him down, keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder all the while. "Are you okay? Does it hurt too much?"

"I'm fine," Kageyama muttered, though it was a blatant lie. The pain sucked, but he knew there was no way they'd get back to the shop if Hinata had to carry him the whole way. "If you just... hold onto me, I can walk... the rest of the way."

"Are you... sure?" Hinata asked uncertainly. "You're in bad shape."

"I  _said_ I'm fine." He struggled to his feet, Hinata supporting his left side, and glared off into the rain. Kageyama felt bad leaving Yachi alone to handle the fight, but he was justsmart enough to know that he wouldn't be any help in his current condition. "Let's leave, quickly. Yachi has enough to deal with right now before we get shot in the back retreating."

Hinata seemed like he wanted to say something, but he bit his lip and nodded instead. "Okay... Let's go."

***  *  *  *  ***

The shop was just as ruined as they'd left it when Kageyama and Hinata stumbled inside. They'd barely made it to the back room before Kageyama collapsed right on the floor atop a pile of books. He groaned as Hinata fell to his knees beside him and helped him flip over onto his stomach, relieving some of the sharp pain.

He inhaled sharply. "U-um... Okay, okay. We can— It's not— Um, i-it's not  _that_ bad..."

"Somehow, I don't believe you," Kageyama grumbled, gritting his teeth as Hinata's cool hands tugged at his jacket. " _Ow_! Stop doing that."

"You need to take your clothes off so I can see the wounds!" He kept pulling. "Come on, take it all off! Quick!"

"Dumbass, shut up— Stop  _pulling_!" Kageyama shoved him off weakly and tugged off his clothes, wincing as his shirt scraped over his back. "Okay, it's  _off_. What's the damage?" It had to be bad considering he'd passed out and felt like a hot poker was being pressed into his back, but hey, optimism never hurt anybody.

"I'm looking... just lay still." Hinata's cool hands pressed against his skin again and Kageyama winced, only to relax a second later as the chill swept waves of relief across his back. The calming feeling was so immense, he almost thought he would fall asleep, but he knew that probably wasn't a good idea.

"Shōyō... hurry up."

"I— I'm trying," the redhead murmured uneasily. "I've never done this before."

" _Agh_." Kageyama bit back a groan as fire arched across his spine. "Whatever you're doing, do it  _better_."

"I'm  _trying_!" Hinata let out a frustrated breath and the coolness retreated. "I need— I think I need b-bandages or something. This is... worse than I thought." The quake in his voice was more worrying than the pain. That, and the sensation of drifting Kageyama was beginning to experience. The edges of the world were starting to fade in an out like a broken TV.

"Shō..." His voice sounded slurred and groggy, and his body felt numb. "Help... fast..."

"Stay with me," Hinata urged. He had stood up and was looking around frantically, dislodging piles of junk—probably searching for medical supplies.

Some part of Kageyama's brain recognized that he should follow Hinata's advice, but his body could care less. The loss of sensation was better than the pain. How weak  _was_  he, to get this hurt from a few blobs of spiritual energy?

"Okay!" From somewhere nearby, Hinata's voice resonated triumphantly. "I found bandages! Hang in there, Tobio!"

Kageyama tried to speak, but only a slight moan escaped. He could hear Hinata move closer, but everything was beginning to slip away, the strong need to sleep more appealing than the spirit's urging. What harm could it do to just shut his eyes for a few minutes, anyway? Just a little rest and he would be fine...

"Don't you dare even  _think_  about falling asleep." A hand slapped him right in the middle of his back and Kageyama jumped with an inhuman screech. Though his fatigue was gone, now he had the overwhelming and insanely powerful urge to strangle the life—or death—out of Hinata. Unfortunately, all he had the strength to do was glare.

"That's right, evil-eye me all you want." Hinata set down a stack of ripped makeshift cloth bandages and flashed his typical heart-stopping grin. "If you become a ghost, too, we'll have to suffer together for all eternity." His eyes shone with a hint of amusement as he tied two of the cloth strips together. "Somehow, I doubt you'd be very satisfied with that."

"Where'd all this"—he paused to cough—" _humor_  come from?"

"Just taking a page from your book." He cinched the knot in the fabric with his teeth and moved closer. "Stay still. This will probably hurt a lot more after I slapped you."

"Remind me to  _re_ -kill you for that later," Kageyama muttered. "Dumbass."

Hinata's smile brightened as he tied two more strips together. "That's more like the Tobio I know! Keep up the morale and you'll be back on your feet in no time!"

"I seriously hate you."

***  *  *  *  ***

About twenty minutes later, Hinata had managed to bandage up Kageyama's back and re-righted the couch for him to lay on. Keeping himself manifested for so long left him drained, so he had no choice but to sit beside him on a cleared patch of floor to regain some energy.

Kageyama was feeling better after the treatment, but he still couldn't move much and  _really_  needed a couple painkillers. Besides that, all he could think about was Yachi. They'd left her alone with a dangerous spirit, and even though she was more experienced, Kageyama couldn't help but worry about her. He felt like a terrible person for just walking off, even if he was hurt.

He glanced at Hinata over his shoulder and managed a half-hearted roll to face him. "Hey... can you pick up any psychic-ey vibes about Yachi? How she's doing?"

Hinata gave him an 'are you an idiot?' look. "That's not how it  _works_ , stupid. I don't have a weird, ghostly link to everyone I meet, you know, and  _you're_  the psychic, not me." He crossed his legs with a pout. "All I can do is... well, phase through things." He picked at an imaginary thread on his sweatshirt. "I'm kinda boring..."

Kageyama threw an arm over his eyes with a long sigh. "I don't think you're boring."

"Hmmm..." Hinata flopped down on his stomach and rested his chin in his hands. "Hey... remember you said you had something to tell me? You know, before all of...  _this_  happened." He gestured around awkwardly to constitute the meaning of 'this' before his hands fell back down uselessly. "Anyway... what was it?"

"Umm..." Kageyama's face reddened and he felt the sudden need to start pacing; although, obviously, his body couldn't comply. "I— I'm not sure  _now_  is really the best time to—"

Before he could finish, the door at the front of the shop burst open and Yachi stumbled in, drenched in rain water and gasping. Before Hinata or Kageyama could so much as blink, she slammed it closed again, smacked a large talisman in the middle, and collapsed on her back in a pile of scrolls.


	18. Take My Hand

"Yacchan!" Hinata stumbled into a standing position and skidded out the door to kneel beside Yachi, who was struggling to sit up. Kageyama tried to follow him, but he couldn't move a muscle. Instead, he flipped weakly onto his side to watch the happenings.

As Yachi coughed into her hand, Hinata rested a hand on her elbow and helped her into a sitting position, brows pulled together in worry. "Yacchan, are you okay? What happened?"

She wiped the back of her mouth, struggling to speak and looking a little green in the face. "He... he was winning, but my mom got there just in time. She... kept fighting him while I escaped back here." She placed a hand on her stomach and groaned. "I—  _Ugh_. I cast a protective barrier around the shop. It should... should hold until she gets here. In the meantime, we need to... call the IBPA." She tried to rise but stumbled, Hinata wincing as he manifested to catch her. "Sorry, Hinata... I get nauseous when I use too much  _Onmyōdō_. It will...  _urgh_... pass."

"Onmy... What?" Hinata shook his head. "Um, never mind: let's just get you up."

He helped Yachi stand, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her towards the backroom. He grabbed an overturned chair and set it up at the table, which Yachi sank into gratefully, leaning her arms against the surface with a groan. "Thanks..."

"Sure, but..." Hinata frowned. "What  _exactly_  happened out there?"

Yachi managed to straighten herself up, wincing as she did so. "Tsukishima and Yamaguchi helped me fight until you two got to safety, but after that, they both took off. I held him off as long as I could, but he's... unusually strong." She ran a shaking hand through her disheveled hair with a perplexed look. "I— I never anticipated a spirit could be so  _powerful_. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I'm... not even sure my  _mom_  can stand up against him."

Hinata bit his lip, staring at the ground anxiously. "Yacchan... what do we do, then?"

"I..." She looked away, eyes unsure for the first time since Kageyama had met her. "I don't know. But... for now, we need to call the IBPA. They can protect us better than I can." She reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, dialing a number as Hinata shifted from foot to foot and Kageyama observed irritably.

He felt so  _helpless_  like this. If he couldn't move, he was nothing but a burden.

Still, this was no time to be feeling sorry for himself. They were  _all_  in danger until someone more powerful was able to contain the  _Ikiryō_. Hopefully, Madoka would be able to hold him off long enough for the IBPA to arrive, but now that Kageyama knew what he was after...

He glanced at Hinata and bit his lip.

He would rather  _die_  than let that creep get a hold of him. And he still wasn't sure why  _Hinata_  was his target, anyway. What was so special about him? Based on what little  _Ikiryō_  lore Kageyama had heard before, they sought out lesser spirits to devour them and add to their own power. There shouldn't have been any motive behind it, let alone the urge to hunt down a  _single_  spirit. It made no sense.

Yachi attracted his attention by slamming her phone down with a frustrated exhalation. "They're not answering!" She held a hand to her stomach and closed her eyes, looking like she was about to throw up. "I'm not... sure if I'm strong enough... to hold up this barrier for too much longer..."

Hinata glanced back and forth between Kageyama and Yachi with wide, frightened eyes. His lip was chewed raw and his face was even paler than usual—and although Kageyama still wasn't sure how ghost anatomy worked, he could tell Hinata was scared. "I don't know what to do, Yacchan... Kageyama's hurt badly, you look like you're about to pass out, and I'm almost completely out of spiritual energy."

"Don't panic," Yachi said, though judging from the look on her face, she wasn't taking her own advice. "Everything will be fine... We just need to keep trying to contact the IBPA, and whenever my mother gets here, she can continue to hold up the barrier until they arrive." She seemed to gain more confidence as she spoke. "They'll neutralize the  _Ikiryō_ , and then—"

She was interrupted by her cellphone buzzing, and she quickly fumbled to answer it. "Yes, hello?!" Her face relaxed into a relieved smile. "Yes! We were trying to get a hold of you! We've got a serious—" Yachi paused, expression slowly turning gaunt as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the call. "Yes, but I— What... what do you mean?"

Her fingers began to tap an offbeat rhythm on the table, and Kageyama started to worry.

"I... Yes, I understand." Her fingers stopped, face white as a sheet. "We'll... figure something out."

She hung up and set the cell on the table, hands shaking as she looked up to meet Kageyama and Hinata's anxious gazes. "That... was the IBPA." Her trembling voice made Kageyama even more nervous. "There's been a waystation breach. They can't send anyone here to help." She glanced down at her lap and swallowed thickly. "We're going to have to do this...  _alone_."

***  *  *  *  ***

After Yachi dropped the bad news, they had to come up with a new plan: and quick. Kageyama still couldn't move at all, but he'd finally recovered enough to speak and help Hinata and Yachi brainstorm. He was propped up on the arm of the couch while Yachi took over first-aid from Hinata and redressed his wounds: For the first time, he got a good look at them.

Black marks stretched across Kageyama's chest, arms, and back like coal-colored acid burns. Each one felt like a million stab wounds, making a quilt of pain across his upper body. As Yachi wrapped them, her expression remained somber. "Kageyama, these wounds are worse than I thought. They're blighted, spiritually infected burns. We need blessed water to cure this, and fast."

She finished wrapping the last wound and Kageyama gazed up at her warily. "Or...  _what_  will happen, exactly?"

"You'll—" She cut herself off and grimaced. "It... doesn't matter. I think we have some holy water somewhere in here." She left him and disappeared into the front of the shop, wobbling slightly on her feet. She'd set up talismans to help her retain power, but keeping the barrier up was still taking a toll on her.

Kageyama glanced away after she was out of sight, eyes landing on Hinata. He was curled up on the floor with his legs to his chest, head resting on his knees. "Hey, Shōyō."

His head shot up and he blinked at Kageyama with concern. "Y-yeah? Are you okay?"

"I'm just wondering..." Kageyama adjusted his position to rest on his side with a slight grimace. "Are you... hurt at all? I didn't have time to ask before."

Hinata seemed startled by the question. "M-me?" He shook his head furiously. "You shouldn't be worried about me at all!" He looked down, hugging his knees tighter and catching his bottom lip between his teeth. "It's  _my_  fault you're hurt. If you h-hadn't protected me, you wouldn't be..."

His eyes squeezed shut as he trailed off, and Kageyama wished he was recovered enough to get up and slap some sense into him. Did he really think it was his fault?

"You  _idiot_." He tried to yell but broke into a coughing fit halfway through, holding up a hand to stop him when Hinata started to get up. "Don't— don't move. And don't you  _dare_  think that any of this is your fault." He still wanted to shout, but all he could manage was a quiet scold. "None of this was your fault. You didn't choose for that creep to target you, and it was  _my_  choice to protect you." Kageyama paused. "And I would do it again in a heartbeat, so quit looking so sad, alright?"

Hinata glanced down dejectedly. "But... all I ever am is an annoyance to you."

"That's  _not_  true," Kageyama stated firmly. "You're not an annoyance, so don't say that again." He looked away, struggling to gather enough courage to say what he'd been wanting to. "And... about that thing that I wanted to tell you before... I li—"

Before he could finish, Yachi stumbled back in and set a plethora of bottles on the table with a loud clatter. "Okay, I gathered all the water I could find. Some is sacred spring, some is holy, and some is blessed. We'll just... make a cocktail and figure it out from there." She glanced between Hinata and Kageyama and blew a piece of hair out of her face. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"No," Kageyama said quickly, hiding his discomposure with a cough. "Please, treat me so I can help out."

Yachi knelt beside the couch with her collection of bottles and frowned. "Well, your wounds won't heal  _immediately_... I'm not actually sure how long it will take, considering the amount and intensity of the injuries."

"Anything that gets me up and moving again is fine." Kageyama slowly flipped onto his back as Yachi started peeling off his bandages. The wounds were still burning, and now the black had turned purple at the edges, while the rest of his skin was as white as a sheet.

Kageyama winced as Yachi peeled off the last of the gauze and started studying the labels of her bottles with a frown. "Hmmm... rice water? Why do we have  _that_?"

As she continued rambling to herself, Kageyama spared a glance over her shoulder to check on Hinata. He looked less pale now, but he was definitely still scared. He had due reason to be, too; they still hadn't come up with a plan in case something bad happened. At the rate Yachi was going, Kageyama guessed she'd be able to hold the barrier for another few minutes before they'd be relying solely on talismans.

"Aha! Found it!" Yachi held up a small, spherical green bottle filled with glowing silver water and popped the stopper. She grabbed a patch and tipped the bottle into it unceremoniously. "This will probably hurt, so please don't smack me," she warned, putting the bottle aside and holding the gauze over one of the black streaks. "And try not to scream too loudly."

Kageyama frowned. " _What_? How badly will it—"

His words bit off into a sharp yelp as Yachi pressed the glowing water against his chest, igniting a fire even worse than the one already consuming him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming, tasting blood. If he was able-bodied, he probably would've  _actually_  slapped Yachi out of reflex. No wonder she'd warned him against it.

"How— How long will this take?" he bit out through the pain, fingernails digging into the couch to try and distract from the burning sensation.

She discarded the piece of gauze she'd been using, which was now spotted with black, and reached for another. "Sorry, but you have a lot of injured surface area here, Kageyama. If I don't clean it thoroughly, it will infect the rest of your body. So... hang in there."

***  *  *  *  ***

By the time Yachi had finished treating him, the rain had turned downright end-of-the-world outside, and the sky was rendered pitch black. Kageyama was covered in bandages again, lying on the couch feeling half-dead and mummified. Yachi had gone to the front to make more talismans, as her powers were finally giving out, and Hinata was sitting next to him like a deer caught in headlights. Kageyama wanted to comfort him somehow, but he was in so much pain, he could barely stay awake.

"Tobio, I—" Hinata started to speak but cut himself off, catching his lip between his teeth. "I, um—"

With a pained sigh, Kageyama weakly turned to look at him. "...What?"

"I was just wondering..." He pressed his fingers together and glanced at the ground. "Well... what happens if— if he f-finds us?"

"Listen..." Kageyama closed his eyes tiredly. "Nothing's going to happen to you, okay? I promise."

"I— I don't want you to get hurt again." Hinata's voice cracked unsteadily, like shattering glass. "If anything h-happened to you, I— I don't know what I—"

" _Shōyō_." Kageyama opened his eyes and reached over to grasp his hand firmly. "I'll be fine." He tried to smile a bit. "Do you really think I'd ever just give up? Don't you know me better than that?"

"Yeah..." Hinata let out a little laugh, wiping tears from his eyes. "Yeah... I guess you're right." He squeezed Kageyama's hand back gently before meeting his eyes. "I trust you."

"Good." Kageyama felt Hinata's hand grow warmer in his and closed his eyes again. "Now, I'm just... going to sleep... for a little while."

As he drifted off, he heard Hinata whisper something to him, but it was lost in the daze of sleep.


	19. The Last Barrier

Kageyama woke to a commotion in the front of the shop.

As he opened his eyes, he gazed down to find his hand empty: Hinata must've gone to help Yachi.

As he craned his neck, Kageyama could see them up front plastering more talismans onto the door. He couldn't even see through the glass anymore, but the faint purple barrier that had been there before was gone, and the door itself was shaking faintly underneath the papers.

When he tried to move, Kageyama was pleasantly surprised to find that his injuries hurt significantly less. He was finally able to sit up and hesitantly stretched, studying his bandages warily. It was amazing how much better everything felt. Pulling a shirt over his head, he stood up slowly, holding his arms out for balance as he staggered forward. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but afterward, Kageyama was able to carefully make his way out of the back room.

"What's going on?"

Hinata turned to look at him while Yachi continued plastering talismans over the door. "You're standing!" He rushed over and rested a steadying hand on Kageyama's shoulder, leading him forward to lean against the wall. "Are you feeling better? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine." He gently removed Hinata's hand and tried for a reassuring smile. "Really. Now, what's with all the talismans?"

"We've got a problem." Yachi was the one who answered, pushing hair away from her face with a grimace. She was sweaty and looked like she'd been through the wringer. "My mother called... She was badly injured and he— he got away from her. He's here, trying to break through the barrier." She looked up at him with an expression caught between desperation and fear. "I keep adding more talismans, but he's going to get through eventually if I don't reactivate the spiritual barrier."

"Wh-what?" Kageyama stumbled and Hinata caught him as he stared at Yachi in shock. "How did this happen? Can—  _can_  you put the barrier back up?"

"I'm not sure." She glanced down at her hands and a faint purple light pulsed for a beat before disappearing. "I still need to recover a lot of energy. I... don't think I can put it up in time." She glanced back up at Kageyama with her lips pursed. "We have to fight him. There's no other choice. You haven't unlocked  _Onmyōdō_ , my mother is miles away, and I have no power." Her expression was one of hopelessness as she turned back to the door. "We're out of options."

"We— we  _can't_  fight!" Kageyama protested weakly. "I can still barely walk, and you're exhausted! Neither of us could beat him before fully rested: Even  _Madoka_  didn't stand a chance against him. And not to mention the IBPA won't be sending any backup for us, so what makes you think we can win now, half-dead and with most of our energy drained?"

He gave her a bleak look. "Yachi, we stand  _no chance_."

She sighed ruefully. "I know, but... it's the only choice we have."

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama knew there had to be some way for them to get through this. He just had to think of a plan; anything that could help them fight against the  _Ikiryō_. He'd promised Hinata, and no way in hell was he going to break that promise. It was a new sensation for him to have someone he wanted to protect so badly, but Kageyama knew for certain he wanted to keep his friends safe, no matter what.

But how could he do that? Their chances were so bleak, any semblance of a plan he could come up with seemed idiotic. And it wasn't just Hyde they had to deal with, but also his Shiki, which had nearly killed him only hours earlier. If Kageyama got injured like that again, he knew Yachi and Hinata would stand even less of a chance.

But what could he do? They really  _were_  out of options.

_Unless..._

Kageyama turned to Yachi, and idea slowly forming. "Yachi, let me through."

She looked at him like he was crazy—which he very well  _might've_  been, considering this new plan. "What? No way. You're still injured."

Ugh; this was wasting time they didn't have! Kageyama took the blond by the shoulders and tried to convey his urgency through eye contact. If she or Hinata knew what he was planning, there was no way they'd let him go. "Please. I won't do anything dangerous," he lied, pleading with her. "Either one of us casts him away, or he gets through the barriers. I'll just go out and strike him with a banishment talisman to buy us some time."

She bit her lip indecisively. "I... I don't think it's a good idea. What if he's waiting for us to—"

"It doesn't matter!" Kageyama interrupted, shaking her in his insistence. "Yachi, this is our  _only_  chance!" He let her go and lowered his voice. " _Please_. I know I can do it. If he breaks through, you and I both know we wouldn't last two seconds in our current condition." He looked at her helplessly. "This is the only thing I can do to help. Please, just  _let me_ _do this_."

Yachi seemed to realize he wasn't going to relent and ran a trembling hand through her mussed hair with an apprehensive sigh. She was opening her mouth to speak when a cracking sound drew Kageyama's attention to the glass right beside her. A black crack spanned down it, breaking several talismans right in half and allowing cold air to seep through. Kageyama barely had time to shout a warning and leap towards her before the door shattered, blowing them off their feet and sending glass shards spraying across the shop.

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama's ears rang and he coughed violently, stiffening as he realized he was on the floor.

His head spun as he tried to move, taking note of the several cuts the glass had left. When he opened his eyes, through blurry vision, he could see a black figure stepping through the shattered remains of the door, rain drenching the floor.

_No..._  His brain was screaming for him to get up, but Kageyama's whole body felt numb with pain, refusing to move a muscle. Not far from him, Yachi had struck a desk and appeared to be unconscious.

Hyde's familiar indistinct figure stepped carefully over a pile of glass shards and smirked at Kageyama smugly. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here. I thought I'd gotten rid of you once and for all with that blight."

Kageyama gritted his teeth and used every ounce of willpower in his shaking body to push himself to his feet. anger spurring him into motion. "Sorry; no such luck."

The man laughed humorlessly. "I don't think you're in any condition to be talking like that." He gestured at Kageyama's arms, red streams leaking down them from deep, multitudinous cuts. "Are you  _really_  going to fight me again? If you just hand over your little friend now, I promise I won't kill you or the psychic girl."

"Over my dead body," Kageyama spat, wiping the blood from his cheek and glaring at the  _Ikiryō_  with all the hatred he could muster.

Hyde only shook his head bemusedly. "Well, if you insist." As he raised a hand, silver Shiki blinked into existence in the air around him. "Are you sure about this? I'll give you one more chance to give up."

"Thanks," Kageyama grinned, reaching into his back pocket and retrieving a slip of paper, "but I think I'll pass." Before Hyde could respond, he swiped his thumb across one of his cuts and scrawled out a hasty character. "I'm not ready to give up just yet."

Running straight at him, Kageyama dodged a Shiki and struck the man straight in the chest with the bloody paper. The resulting blast sent them both flying, Kageyama landing hard amidst a pile of books and the  _Ikiryō_  back outside the shop. Rain poured in from the gaping hole, creating large puddles of water across the floor.

Staggering to his feet and breathing heavily, Kageyama drew out another paper as Hyde stood up, cracking his neck back and forth irritably. He stood just outside the threshold, staring inside. "Using blood to draw a talisman. Impressive."

Kageyama said nothing, glancing at Yachi's prone form warily. Hinata was beside her, anxiously trying to rouse her, but she was dead to the world. It was all up to him now, and even though he wouldn't be able to carry out his first plan exactly as he'd wanted, he could still do  _something_. All he needed was to buy himself enough time to complete the talisman he needed while also keeping Hyde away from Yachi and Hinata.

Not easy, but certainly doable.

As the  _Ikiryō_  stepped back through the doorway, Kageyama scrawled another hasty symbol. Recognizing the action, Hyde quickly raised a hand and threw several Shiki at him, forcing Kageyama to dive into a somersault to avoid them. As soon as one disappeared, another took its place, and he was forced to flip himself over an overturned bookshelf to avoid three more. Pain spiked through his whole body from the sudden movement, like a jolt of electricity.

Kageyama didn't have a chance to rest or catch his breath before more ghosts came flying at him. He vaulted back over the bookshelf, shooting an anxious glance Hinata's way before throwing the talisman at Hyde. It struck him and let off a bright explosion of light, giving Kageyama time to make another as he circled around towards the door, still hoping to keep the attention off Yachi and Hinata.

As Hyde blinked the brightness out of his eyes, he glared harshly at Kageyama, gritting his teeth in annoyance. Good; he was getting rattled. The angrier he got, the more reckless.

Unfortunately, he was still very powerful, and he created dozens more Shiki with a flick of his wrist. "This is getting annoying. You're like an old dog that just won't be put down."

"Flattering analogy." Kageyama circled around him, fingers tightening around the paper in his left hand in anticipation. "Wonder why you have so much trouble with me if I'm just an old dog."

The man didn't respond, instead throwing his first wave of spirits at Kageyama's chest. He sprinted to the right and rolled over another bookshelf, springing to his feet and sticking the talisman he'd made on his own arm. Immediately, energy rushed into him as the cuts on his arms healed, giving Kageyama the burst of strength he desperately needed. The recovery talisman would no doubt drain him later, but at that moment, it gave him enough speed to make it to the  _Ikiryō_ 's other side and strike him in the back.

His gamble paid off as the man crumpled, letting out a sharp groan. As Kageyama had suspected, unlike most spirits, he had a corporeal form: probably because he was still human in some way. Nevertheless, it meant he could be hurt, and not just by other spirits. It was valuable information, and gave Kageyama the upper hand: Specific talismans wouldn't work on spirits, but now that he knew Hyde had a physical form, he had access to them all.

Straightening up and shaking himself off, Hyde whipped around to face Kageyama with a harsh growl. "That's it." He raised his hand and blue light sparked down his arm. "I'm done playing childish games of cat and mouse with you."

Kageyama paused, fear tingling down his spine as he felt the familiar energy of  _Onmyōdō_  seeping into the air. The realization that accompanied it was even worse: Hyde's real body must've been a psychic.

As if reading his mind, the  _Ikiryō_  grinned, flexing his blurred fist. "Surprised? Your friend isn't the only  _Onmyōji_  around."

Kageyama didn't let himself stay stunned for long: He readied a new talisman and sprinted towards Hyde.

The man, unconcerned, thrust his palm outward. Kageyama felt a force strike his chest, sending him flying backward into the wall. The breath was knocked out of him as he slumped to the floor with a sharp gasp, hearing his bones crack. There was no time to get up before Hyde was right in front of him again, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

With his free hand, he squeezed Kageyama's wrist until he was forced to drop his talisman.

From over his left shoulder, Kageyama could see Hinata standing up, mouth forming his name. He wanted to yell at him, tell him to stay away, but the air was being choked out of his lungs. All he could do was hold on to Hyde's wrist futiley and try to pry it off his throat. He stared into those deep black eyes and struggled to draw breath.

"I gave you the option to give up before. I won't make that mistake again."

He squeezed tighter and Kageyama wheezed, lungs burning. Behind Hyde, Hinata finally screamed his name, drawing the  _Ikiryō_ 's attention. He roughly slammed Kageyama's head against the wall and released him. He slipped to the ground, head spinning in circles and gasping for air.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Hyde stalked towards Hinata.


	20. A Wish That Cannot Be Fulfilled

"St-stay away," Hinata stammered, taking an unsteady step back as Hyde grinned maliciously at him.

Kageyama's brain screamed at him to get up, but he could barely move an inch, unable to help. As the  _Ikiryō_  walked closer, Hinata retreated farther away, back striking the shop counter. His legs were shaking so much, he had to hold himself up, and Kageyama could tell he was struggling not to tear up.

Dammit. Dammit, dammit,  _dammit_. How could he let this happen?! He'd had everything handled a moment ago, and suddenly, it was all spinning out of control, everything gone to hell in a split second. What was he supposed to  _do_? Yachi was still unconscious, Hinata's powers were drained, and he couldn't move.

And now he knew Hyde had  _Onmyōji_  powers, which only made things a million times worse. How could he compete with something that strong?

"Why are you doing this?" Hinata asked, trembling like a leaf in the wind as tears finally leaked down his cheeks. "We didn't do anything to you!"

Hyde hesitated for a moment before letting out a slight, disbelieving laugh. "You really don't how valuable you are, do you?"

"V-valuable?" he stammered in confusion. "But I— I'm not—"

"You don't get it, do you?" the  _Ikiryō_  interrupted, shaking his head bemusedly. "It's rare to find such a pure spirit.  _Ushinawareta_ are one of the rarest entities you can find—in fact, most spiritualists don't even know they exist. If  _everyone_  knew about them, I'd imagine they'd become extinct."

He chuckled lightly, unaffected by Hinata's obvious terror at the dark words. "A spirit with an unfulfilled wish. That's the whole reason you remain here, or didn't you know that?"

The redhead jolted, staring at him in shock. Even Kageyama was surprised. He remembered back to the attack on the wayline, when one of the IBPA agents had called him that very same name... but how did Hyde know all of this?

"Yes; it's true," he confirmed. "Your unfulfilled desire from life keeps you grounded in the mortal world—makes it easier for you to access your spiritual power and to interact with humans. You have a unique set of skills: an ability to bring happiness and luck. Unfortunately for you, I've ruined most of that now, but you're still worth the same." He flexed his fist and blue energy sparked along his skin, sending Hinata skittering farther back, behind the counter. "One like you should be relieved to give up their afterlife after lingering so long in the mortal world."

Kageyama's brain screamed at him like a fire alarm, _Get up, get up, get up, get up!_  but all he managed was a slight twitch of the fingers.

"So y-you're... going to kill me?" Hinata whimpered weakly.

"I'm going to  _liberate_  you," Hyde corrected, smiling cruelly. "When I consume your soul, I'll gain an immense power boost from your wish. Your life—or, rather, death—will go to a good cause." His mouth turned downwards in a threatening glower. "So be a good boy and give up quietly. I've already beaten your friends: there's no reason to keep resisting."

"Don't... don't l-listen to him, Hinata..."

Kageyama's eyes widened: _Yachi!_

As he watched, she sat up weakly and pushed herself up on shaking arms. Her face was pale and blood was streaming from a cut on her forehead, crusting her blonde hair on the left side. Her amber eyes were struggling to focus, and Kageyama could see her wobbling back and forth slightly like a top about to fall, but she somehow remained standing.

Hyde gritted his teeth. " _Seriously_? Do you two psychic brats have nine lives?" He turned away from Hinata and focused on her, instead. "I'm getting tired of this. How about we end this now?"

 _I've got to help._  Kageyama tried to get up, but only ended up collapsing on his side. He might've sustained a concussion from getting slammed against the wall; his head was aching and spinning, pain stabbing into his skull with every breath.

Kageyama could feel Yachi trying to summon her powers nearby, but she was too weak and Hyde got to her first. He slapped her hard across the face and she stumbled, tripping over a bookcase and falling back down. Before she could move again, the  _Ikiryō_  punched her hard, knocking her out cold again.

 _No..._  Kageyama felt his body shaking as he struggled to move.  _Get up, get up, dammit! You have to help them!_ His legs moved barely an inch, scraping across broken glass, and Kageyama let out a pained breath.  _I can't give up. I won't._

Slowly placing both palms flat on the ground, he managed to push himself up to a sitting position and gasped, breathing heavily from the small movement. His whole body was burning with agony, but with determination, he pushed himself to his feet once again and faced the enemy.

***  *  *  *  ***

" _Still_  not done?" Hyde clicked his tongue dryly. "I must say, I'm almost impressed."

"I'm  _never_  going to be done, so you should just leave now." He coughed suddenly, dark blood pooling in his hand like spilled wine. Kageyama gritted his teeth and wiped it off on his jeans, wiping the back of his mouth stubbornly. He knew he was in bad shape, but this was life or death— _literally—a_ nd Yachi wasn't getting up again after that hit.

Everything was in his hands now.

"You are  _really_  starting to become annoying." Hyde let out a long sigh and walked towards him. "Tell you what: I'll make this easy."

He grabbed Kageyama by the collar before he could react and easily dragged him forward, wrapping an arm around his neck from behind in an iron headlock and turning towards Hinata. "Alright, listen up: No more fighting back, and no more running around." He tightened his grip and Kageyama let out a gasp, unable to raise his arms or struggle even a little in the tight hold. "Either you surrender now and come with me, or I snap his neck."

"No!" Hinata yelled desperately. He scrambled out from behind the counter, despite Kageyama's glaring warning, and raised his hands in surrender. "Please, stop!"

"Ah, so we found the pressure point." Hyde's arm pressed against Kageyama's throat and he growled in response. "Do you finally give up?"

"D-don't you— d-dare do it," Kageyama wheezed with effort, coughing and spraying blood across Hyde's forearm. "H-he's— he's bluffing."

"Oh, on the contrary"—the _Ikiryō_ wrapped his arm around Kageyama's chin and twisted slightly—"I'm  _dead_  serious."

"Okay, okay!" Hinata squeezed his eyes shut, avoiding Kageyama's penetrating gaze. He wanted to jump forward and slap him; tell him how stupid he was being; but all he could do was hang there uselessly. "Okay... I'll go with you. I'll do whatever you want: Just please, let him go."

"Ah, we've finally reached an agreement, then." With no ceremony, Hyde released him and shoved Kageyama away carelessly. He stumbled and fell against the wall, landing in a pile of books with a groan, the world beginning to grow fuzzy and dark around the edges. He stared up at Hinata and begged him silently to keep fighting, but he only shook his head and mouthed,  _I'm sorry._

Hyde grabbed him by the sweatshirt and dragged him towards the shop exit, glancing back at Kageyama with a sardonic smile. "Valiant effort, kid, but still not good enough. Better luck next time." He paused again and laughed. "Oh, wait: there won't  _be_ a next time."

With a crazed chuckle, he shoved Hinata out the door and disappeared into the dark rain, leaving Kageyama lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

***  *  *  *  ***

Several agonizing moments passed before Kageyama recovered enough to reach into his pocket weakly and pull out his cellphone with shaking fingers. With difficulty, he dialed a number and pressed the screen to his ear, closing his eyes and struggling to draw breath.

The phone rang for several beats before someone finally picked up, sounding irritated. "Agent Iwaizumi speaking. Whoever this is, you better have a  _damn_  good reason for calling!"

"It's... Kageyama Tobio, f-from"—he paused to cough—"Yachi Madoka's shop... I— I need h-help..."

"We're a little preoccupied over here," came the man's annoyed response. There was a muffled shout on the other end, followed by a scuffle and Iwaizumi asking about someone called Oikawa, before he came back on the line. "Dammit, we're swarmed over here! What's the problem, kid? Make it quick!"

"The— The  _Ikiryō_  a-attacked us... Madoka is m-missing, her daughter is unconscious, and I— I'm... s-severely injured. The spirit... e-escaped with our friend, and we're currently unable to go... a-after them." He let out a weak, shuddering breath and coughed again, feeling nauseous. "Are you... a-able to send some— someone?"

Iwaizumi didn't speak for several seconds.

" _Shit_." Kageyama heard what sounded like a loud crash, then Iwaizumi growling. "This just  _had_  to happen  _now_?! Alright, listen to me, kid; I'll send two agents for first-aid, but you'll have to go after your friend yourself. I can't spare the manpower to deal with an  _Ikiryō_  for now, but my people will heal you enough to handle it. How bad are your injuries?"

"I have spiritual burns a-and... possibly a concussion, and some... i-internal bleeding. I'm not sure about Yachi, but she— she t-took several blows to the head."

"Alright; listen to me," Iwaizumi ordered sternly. "You need to stay awake until my men get there. Stay still, and don't aggravate your wounds. Do you have access to preservation talismans?"

It took Kageyama several moments to respond, having trouble comprehending his speech. "Maybe, but I— I... don't think so. I can't... move a-at all..."

"Well... hang in there, then." There was an even louder crash on the other end and Iwaizumi swore again. "Fuck, I've got to go! My agents will be there in ten minutes."

He hung up and Kageyama let the phone slip from his hand and clatter to the floor. In addition to the burning sensation consuming his chest, his lungs felt like they were full of broken glass, and he was beginning to lose feeling in his arms and legs. His injuries must've been worse than he thought: probably a few broken ribs.

Kageyama pulled his eyes open to glance over at Yachi. She was out cold, but she seemed to be breathing okay—or, at least, easier than he was. That was a relief... But the feeling was short-lived. He still couldn't believe that idiotic dumbass had given himself up to save him. It was totally reckless—totally  _stupid_ —and Kageyama wanted nothing more than to slap the hell out of him for it.

Everything was officially his fault now.

If anything happened to Hinata, it would be because he'd tried to save him: because he couldn't keep his promise and protect his friends. The sense of failure felt even worse than his physical injuries, and the worry for Hinata made him feel even more like his chest was being crushed. He could be gone already for all Kageyama knew—Hyde could've already taken his soul.

Dammit... He would take everything back if he could. Meeting Hinata, learning he was a psychic, spending months training: he would trade it all for this nightmare to just  _go away_. If they'd never met, Hinata would be safe. Even though Kageyama hated thinking of forgetting him, never knowing him was better than delivering him to his death—his  _final_  death, this time.

But he couldn't control time— _nobody_  could. All he could do was lay there, struggling to breathe and waiting for the IBPA to show up. All he could do was pray that Hinata was okay until he was healed up and able to go after him. As soon as he was able, Kageyama would go after them, and he'd kill Hyde if it was the last thing he did.

In the meantime, he was supposed to stay awake, but Kageyama wasn't so sure he could.

He knew it was a really bad idea to fall asleep, especially if he had a concussion, but his body thought otherwise. Everything was becoming numb around the edges, and his eyes kept sucking themselves shut. Even as he fought to keep them open, Kageyama could feel himself slipping into the inevitable darkness of unconsciousness.


	21. Find Me

"Hey! Hey, kid!" A gruff voice crawled out of the darkness to brush against Kageyama's ears. "Kid, wake up!"

As consciousness slowly returned to him, Kageyama opened his eyes, greeted by a sharp stab of pain through his skull. He winced, throwing a hand over his eyes and blinking up at the man-shaped shadow hovering over him: undoubtedly an IBPA agent.

He almost passed out again from sheer relief as his body was healed by the cool blue light flowing from the stranger's hands and into his aching chest. His eyes slipped closed in relief as the tension was magically sucked away. "Thank you... so much... for coming..."

"Yeah, well, anything to get away from that mess back at the station," the man muttered lowly in response. "Don't even  _think_  about falling asleep again. Don't you have something you need to do, anyway?"

His brain struggled to think of what that something was. The light was just so relaxing, it made worrying impossible... until a frightened pale face flashed behind Kageyama's eyelids in a ghostly reminder.

His body jerked as the panic slammed back into him like a gunshot to the chest, arms frantically pushing the healer away as he bolted into an upright position, ignoring the burning pain in his abdomen. "Hinata! I— I have to go!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the agent pushed him back down with a stern click of the tongue. "Don't reverse all my work, kid."

"S-sorry." Kageyama forced himself to be still, though his legs itched to get up and sprint out into the rain after Hinata. He had no clue how much time had passed since the  _Ikiryō_  left with him and he'd passed out. For all Kageyama knew, they could be miles away by then. And how was he supposed to track Hinata through the pouring rain? It was hard to sense spiritual residue in a downpour of this magnitude.

He cursed under his breath and frantically searched the depths of his brain for some semblance of a plan. The first priority was tracking down Hinata and Hyde, then dealing with the Shiki. Now that he knew Hyde had  _Onmyōji_  powers, he'd have to change his approach. One blast had severely injured him: direct contact could cause anything from paralysis to death.

Kageyama would have to keep a safe distance away while taking him down, which only made things even more difficult.

"Almost done," the IBPA healer told him, jerking his attention back to the present. His ribs were feeling much better, and the majority of the pre-treated black curse marks were beginning to fade into a dull gray. His head was also significantly improved, allowing Kageyama to sit up and look around without wanting to vomit or pass out, which was obviously a good sign.

Yachi looked a little better as well, her wounds cleaned and bandaged and her breathing steadier, although she didn't look like she'd be waking up anytime soon. That meant the coming fight was entirely up to Kageyama.

This realization, of course, made him want to roll up in the fetal position and cry, but he calmed himself down with the rationality that he'd be able to prepare this time around. He could make all the talismans and bring all the equipment he needed.

"Alright, I'm finished." The healer pulled his hands away and the light faded as Kageyama stretched his torso experimentally. It felt as good as new.

"Thanks." He pulled himself up slowly and gave the man a grateful nod. "We appreciate all your help."

"Sure, whatever." He waved his hand dismissively, bending down to pack away piles of medical equipment. As he rolled up some bandages, he shot Kageyama what might've been a sympathetic glance. "Just get going. We'll watch over your friend until she wakes up."

Reassured, Kageyama nodded again and pulled on a discarded shirt, retrieving a stack of premade talismans from the shop counter. As he shrugged on his jacket and approached the gaping hole where the door used to be, he took a deep breath and clenched his fists. This was it. Anything could happen after he stepped through the threshold. Kageyama knew there was a large possibility he may never come back.

Oh well. He'd always loved taking risks.

***  *  *  *  ***

The rain poured down in thick streams, restricting the view to three feet in any given direction.

Hinata shivered, but not from the cold. Fear kept his feet firmly grounded to the spot next to his grave, legs shaking and unshed tears clawing insistently at his eyes, though he refused to let them fall. Instead, he glared harshly at the figure across from him with as much courage as he could muster.

Despite the firm resolve, his voice shook more than his legs when he spoke. "Why did— Why did you bring me here?"

"This is the location where your emotions are the most heightened." The  _Ikiryō_ rose from his previous position kneeling in front of a stone angel statue and turned to him with a crooked, blurred frown. "At least, I had thought so... Your aura was brighter at that shop earlier." He let out a forlorn sigh. "Ah, oh well: I suppose it doesn't matter all that much."

Hinata pressed himself closer to the comforting familiarity of his well-worn gravestone, biting his trembling lower lip. "Why... why can you touch me when I'm not in my physical manifestation? And what's wrong with your spirit? It's so... so  _warped_." Staring at it, it looked like a dark impressionist painting.

"Hideous, isn't it?" The  _Ikiryō_  laughed, though there was no real humor behind it. "That's what happens to humans who bite off more than they can chew, I suppose." He held out his hand and the sparkling blue energy from before crackled around it for a moment before he clenched his fist and it disappeared. "I got too greedy: messed with things I didn't understand. Iwa-chan and the rest, they tried to warn me, but I didn't believe them." His dark eyes flashed desolately. "And now... here I am, forced to wander between the worlds like a common nomad."

"So... you really were human before..." Hinata whispered in horror. "Can't you... stop? Go back, somehow?"

"As if I haven't tried." He let out a strained breath. "The hunger becomes too strong for you to handle. You start to go  _crazy_  with the feeling of emptiness." His red eyes turned towards the sky, as if he were searching for something amidst the rain clouds. "Even in my human body, I feel it  _clawing_ at me... The only thing that offers the tiniest bit of relief is consuming souls. Souls like yours."

Hinata flinched when those unsettling empty pools fixed on him and the monster took a step towards him. "But you— you can fight it," he tried bargaining desperately as the threat moved closer. "You don't have to do this. There's gotta be a way for you to change back, if you keep trying!"

" _Shut up_." The shadowy figure appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, slamming his back against the grave. "I'll make this quick." Blue energy crackled along his arms and Hinata tried to tug himself free to avoid the deadly power he'd seen strike Kageyama earlier, but to no avail. As the electricity grew nearer to his skin, he could only squeeze his eyes shut and pray for a miracle.

 _A miracle?_  his brain echoed faintly.  _Those don't exist. You need to fight. Fight him!_

Wishing he wasn't so bravely stupid, Hinata gritted his teeth and tore his eyes open, pushing the man off him with all of his strength and using the momentum to sprint past him, off into the rain. His feet pounded soundlessly against the puddles of muddy water and soft soil as he tore through the graveyard and towards the gate several plots away, but he could feel his energy dimming. It was as if the  _Ikiryō_  had begun sucking the soul out of him just by making contact.

Whatever the case, he  _couldn't_  let him catch up. He needed to make it out of the cemetery and find someone—Kageyama, Suga, Tsukishima:  _anyone_  who could help him.

He was so close now: the gates were only a few feet away, beckoning, promising safety. He would make it. He would actually make it—

A force like a bowling ball suddenly slammed into Hinata's back and he stumbled, losing his balance and toppling head-first to the ground with a sharp cry of pain and surprise. Before he could fully register what had struck him, freezing hands closed around his wrists tightly, flipping him around on his back as a weight settled against his chest.

Hinata struggled and kicked his legs as the heavy figure of the  _Ikiryō_ pinned him to the ground. "Get— Get off me!"

"No can do, chibi-chan." He clucked his tongue petulantly. "Running away is a big no-no."

Hinata twisted every which way trying to wiggle his way free, but the man was too heavy. "Let me go!"

"You really  _are_  annoying. If you just hold still, this will all be over quickly."

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama's breath came in quick, strained gasps as he tore through the muddy streets toward the railroad crossing by the forest. Tsukishima had helped him locate Hinata last time, so maybe he knew where he was now—at least, Kageyama  _really_  hoped so as he sprinted past the long fence surrounding the forest and his eyes fell upon the crossing ahead.

As he neared it, he started to call out Tsukishima's name, but a scream from up the road cut him off: a scream Kageyama recognized, and a sound he'd hoped never to hear again, sending spikes of panic through his chest.

Without wasting a second to deliberate, he passed right through the railroad tracks and flew towards the sound's origin: the graveyard. The rain seemed to pound against his back even harder than before as Kageyama reached the end of the road and threw open the worn wrought-iron gate, lurching to a stop and gasping for breath as he stared at the scene in front of him.

Up ahead, a figure sat poised over a familiar redhead, pinning him to the muddy ground while he squirmed and cried out feebly for help like a wounded animal pup. As Kageyama stepped through the gate, Hinata's eyes found his through the rain and his face crumpled into a sob.

It broke Kageyama's heart and sent a red-hot fire racing across his chest: Rage like he'd never experienced before.

"Shōyō!" His voice tore through the air like a gunshot and the _Ikiryō_ 's head whipped around to glare at him, eyes swirling pools of crimson through the fog. Before Kageyama could make it three steps, a sharp, strong wind struck him out of nowhere. His back slammed against a tall headstone, his breath leaving him in a loud gasp as the rough stone dug into his skin, aggravating his newly-healed ribs. Coughing and wheezing, Kageyama tried his best to move, but it was as if he was tethered to the grave, unable to move a muscle.  _So much for using talismans._

Kageyama glared up at Hyde, the cause of all of this, his eyes burning furiously as he struggled to pull himself free of the stone. "Get away from him!"

The amused chuckle that resonated from the dark figure was sinister and unsettling, sending a shiver racing down Kageyama's spine, the fear only worsening his anger: an emotion that overpowered anything else he could've felt. His fists clenched, but could move no further with the restraining power of the  _Ikiryō_. "You bastard! I'll kill you!"

Hyde didn't bother responding this time, turning his attention back to Hinata instead. He had pinned his arms above his head with his knees, reaching down for his face now with a pale hand. He continued to strain desperately, but his small frame was no match for the full-grown man, who gripped his chin and easily wrenched Hinata's head back up.

The boy let out a cry at the contact, sending a fresh jolt of rage and panic through Kageyama's very core.

This was it: If their lips touched, it would all be over. Hinata's soul would be gone. He would just be  _gone_. The monster would devour him, and his bright smile and sparkling eyes would be lost, forever.

 _No. I can't let that happen. I_   _can't._  Kageyama's struggles to break free increased.  _No, no, no._

As the  _Ikiryō_  bent forward, he paused and looked up at him, eyes flashing with madness and sick delight at his desperation. "You stupid boy. You waste all this time and energy to come here, and yet you're helpless to do a single thing to save your poor friend." His mouth curled upwards in a cruel smile as he turned back to address Hinata. "Say goodbye to your so-called 'hero,' little one."

Not waiting for a proper response, Hyde's face lowered towards Hinata's, fingers holding his chin in place with a vice-like grip even as the small boy continuously bucked and wriggled with all his strength, frantically trying to escape. His wide, terrified,  _beautiful_  eyes met Kageyama's panicked gaze as he glanced to the side, and he felt his chest clench painfully in response.

As Kageyama continued to struggle futilely, tears raced down pale, familiar cheeks, and Hinata's eyes slid closed as he finally stopped fighting. His fists unclenched and his thrashing body went limp.

This really was the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I BET YOU GUYS CAN FINALLY GUESS WHO HYDE IS HAHAHA "ψ(｀∇´)ψ But I had to do it!
> 
> Anyways... remember to leave kudos and comments because I'm a piece of trash and live off feedback 人´∀｀)
> 
> Until next time, lovelies~ ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ


	22. Cross the Darkness

Kageyama felt his hope draining with every second as the world slowed to a painful crawl around him. All he could see were the tears falling down Hinata's cheeks and Hyde's empty eyes staring at him. The rain beat a soundless rhythm against his skin as his body went numb and the sky grew darker with the approaching night.

"Please..." Kageyama rasped weakly, going limp as the fight finally rushed out of him. "Please stop this..."

A bright voice echoed through the darkness in his mind like a sudden spark of sunlight through the clouds. _I'm Hinata Shōyō!_

"Stop..." Kageyama's head lowered as an odd mix of emotions ran through him and his body started to tremble.

_Kageyaaammmaaaa, stop calling me dumbass!_

"Wait, please..."

Either not hearing his pleading or not caring, Hyde shot a triumphant look Kageyama's way, but his vision was utterly encompassed by a swirling black void of sharp memories. They pricked at him like shards of broken glass. Everything was swirling around too fast, words and images blurring together in a confusing tapestry of pain and anger.

_You know... I was really glad you could see me when we met._

"Please, please don't hurt him."

_You're a pretty good friend, Kageyama!_

"I'm begging you."

_I trust you._

"He didn't do anything."

It hurt; it hurt so much, like a knife stabbing him in the heart over and over again.  _Kageyama, guess what?!_

"P-please..."

His vision cleared for a split second to allow Hinata's tear-stained face, still turned towards him, to cement itself in Kageyama's mind. His lips, which were usually twisted into a cheerful smile, where trembling and broken. Every look and every touch they'd ever shared tore through Kageyama's senses like a bolt of lightning, setting his nerve-endings on fire.

_You really do love sleeping in, don't you, Kageyama?_

"Just, please..."

Hyde demolished the distance between them and the lips of the two spirits brushed. A blue trail floated between them, like a line of Will o' the Wisps leading a lost traveler to their doom. It was horrifying, yet beautiful at the same time. Or, at least, it was; until Hinata's hoarse screams bit through the air and struck Kageyama's chest like arrows of anguish.

His body burned brighter than the sun as one last sentence ghosted through his head.  _Maybe I'll tell you my story someday._

"STOP!" The harsh scream tore through the air like a blast of electricity, knocking the  _Ikiryō_  straight off of Hinata's chest and sending the trees at the faraway edges of the cemetery blowing back, branches nearly scraping the ground. Kageyama's heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest as his skin cracked and fizzled with intense energy, feeding the unnatural gust. He felt like a fork that had been jammed into a toaster, his whole body a conductor for the electricity to run through.

The air became supercharged, like it always did right before a lightning storm. As the intense power surged through him endlessly, Kageyama raised his arm with less difficulty and the immobility hold on him finally broke, allowing him to drop to the ground, landing in a crouch in the mud. He stared at himself in incomprehensible shock as his skin glowed a dark lime green, sending shivers racing down his arms in waves.

As it pulsed through his skin, filling his whole body with strength and energy, Kageyama recognized it as spiritual power:  _Onmyōji_  power. But that was… impossible. He  _wasn't_ an  _Onmyōji_ , and yet power was coursing through him like water from a broken faucet. It had to be some kind of miracle, for his abilities to awaken now, when Hinata needed him most.

He didn't have too long to be amazed, however, because Hyde was back on his feet, eyes bright with rage and lip curled menacingly as he launched himself forward, a wave of crackling blue light surrounding him. Kageyama dodged the blow, surprisingly fast, and landed in a crouch in front of Hinata's prone form several feet away.

Brushing off the shock at his sudden heightened reflexes, Kageyama squared his shoulders, eyes narrowing as he raised his fists. Green light flickered over his skin like static, making the hairs on his arms rise in reply. He placed himself between Hinata's collapsed form and Hyde's enraged, twitching silhouette.

"I'm not helpless anymore." Kageyama's eyes met Hyde's seething pools of darkness and he grinned, but there was no humor in it: only blood-lust. "You're going to pay for this."

***  *  *  *  ***

As Kageyama stood and faced Hyde properly, thunder boomed loudly from above, as if signaling the start of their final battle. With one last glance towards Hinata, Kageyama stepped around him, placing himself between the  _Ikiryō_  and his unconscious form. "Looks like it's just you and me once again, Hyde."

The figure scoffed. "Is  _that_  what you've been calling me? How lame. If you must know, the name's Oikawa, though you'll have no need to remember it considering I'm going to kill you." He flexed his hands and  _Onmyōdō_  energy flickered down his forearms, casting a somber blue light through the blur of the falling rain.

In response, Kageyama stretched his fingers experimentally. Green light flowed around his palms like a second layer of skin, expanding and contracting with the movement of his fists. With a ferocious grin, he launched himself forward and appeared in front of Oikawa in less than a second, slashing at his chest with a blade-like manifestation of green electricity.

The man barely managed to dodge, throwing himself backward with a slight noise of surprise. Not giving him a chance to counterattack, Kageyama aimed a sweeping kick at his ankles. The  _Ikiryō_  jumped over his legs, attempting to punch him in the chest, but Kageyama swerved back, foot sliding in the mud, and blocked with his forearm, green and blue hissing as they collided.

They leaped apart at the spark of energy, and Oikawa let out an indignant breath. "You young psychics are all so full of energy..." He rolled his shoulders back and forth, shaking his arms loosely as his mouth turned up in a haughty grin. "But your little friend's energy grew as soon as you arrived here: I could sense it spiking." He licked his lips disconcertingly. "I didn't get to finish extracting his soul, but now that his emotional source is present, it will give me even more power."

"Shut up," Kageyama snapped, ignoring his confusing and disturbing speech. " _I'm_  the one you should be focused on."

"As you wish." Oikawa lunged at him and Kageyama darted to the side, placing a palm on the center of his back and using his momentum to shove him forward before delivering a sharp roundhouse kick to his side. He hoped that would be enough to keep him down, but the  _Ikiryō_  was back on his feet in seconds, summoning a score of his dreaded Shiki and throwing them at Kageyama full-speed.

Lashing out with his power, he managed to disintegrate them before they could strike him and ran at Oikawa to attack again, hoping to keep him from having the time to summon more spirits. He had to end this fight quickly: from behind, he could sense Hinata's spiritual force fading away. He had to defeat Oikawa as soon as possible and stick him with a recovery talisman.

_Talisman..._  Kageyama's eyes widened and he reached into his jacket pocket, revealing the stack of premade talismans. He'd forgotten about them entirely, but right there, at the top of the stack, was a paralysis talisman. Before Oikawa could see, he ripped it free and hid it in his fist, shoving the rest deep into his pocket and turning to intercept the  _Ikiryō_ 's next attack.

As he dodged the slice of energy, Kageyama side-stepped Oikawa's arm and reached out, slapping the talisman against his side with as much force as he could.

As the paper made contact, a shock-wave emanated outwards and a hazy white light covered Oikawa's body, freezing him in his lunge. Kageyama came to a standstill, gasping for breath as his hands fumbled for the remaining talismans and he wrenched them out of his pocket again, searching frantically for the one he needed.

Oikawa sneered at him from his statue-like position with a growl. "Talismans? That's cheap."

"Says the one throwing Shiki at me," Kageyama retorted acridly, finding the paper he needed towards the middle of the stack and tearing it free. He pricked his finger with the edge of his incisor and spread a drop of blood on the paper, grinning at Oikawa mercilessly. "Unlike last time, I don't have to write this in blood, but I didn't get a chance to use it before."

The  _Ikiryō_ 's eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. "A talisman that requires a blood sacrifice? How would you know about those at your novice level?"

"I'm an overachiever." He licked the blood from his thumb and wiped it off on his jacket, covering the talisman from the rain to keep the blood from washing away. "And self-study was always my strong suit."

For a second, fear flashed through Oikawa's eyes, though he quickly cleared it away and laughed airily. "Even if you knew of them, to execute one takes a great amount of strength: greater than a newbie could possibly possess. I doubt you have the energy to cast a curse talisman after only a few months of training, so nice try." His fingertips twitched in their outstretched position. "It will only take me another minute to break this measly paralysis jinx, and then I'll take care of you once and for all."

Kageyama's grin widened. "Unfortunately, you don't have another minute."

Reaching forward, he showed Oikawa the talisman: the character for 'banish' intelligible underneath the smear of blood. He didn't even give the  _Ikiryō_  a chance to panic before he struck his chest with the talisman. As Oikawa let out an inhuman shriek, Kageyama felt immense reserves of energy seep into the paper as it burned away the  _Ikiryō_ 's shirt and burrowed into his skin.

As the curse took effect, the paper burned away, leaving the character blazing brightly on Oikawa's bare skin. As more energy was sucked into it, Kageyama stumbled and leaned heavily against a gravestone, watching as the  _Ikiryō_ 's body began to crack and fall apart like glass, dissolving into ash as the talisman—a portal of sorts—sucked his soul into Yomi; the underworld.

Oikawa stared at him as he disappeared, his eyes turning a light brown as his blurry figure morphed into that of a normal human. As he dropped to his knees, his lips formed one last, despairing sentence before he disintegrated. "Please... tell Hajime that I'm sorry."

With that last request, he body shattered and was pulled into the talisman, which disappeared as if it had never been there at all.

***  *  *  *  ***

It was somehow strange to think that even some like Oikawa had someone they cared about. Kageyama sat in the rain for several minutes contemplating that, staring at the spot Oikawa had just been, drawing long, unsteady breaths. His body shook weakly and he struggled to pull himself forward, crawling across the muddy ground to rest beside Hinata, reaching out to touch his face with trembling fingers.

He was as cold as ice, and his skin had turned so pale, it was almost translucent. He didn't move at all; not even a twitch of the fingers or fluttering of the eyelashes.

When Kageyama touched him, he could feel his soul seeping into Yomi slowly, like the sand in an hourglass. More and more of him drained away every second and the realization brought tears to Kageyama's eyes. He couldn't lose him after everything that had happened. He  _couldn't_...

Kageyama took a shaky breath and reached into his pocket with fumbling fingers, retrieving his phone and typing out a message clumsily, tears blurring his sight as he sent it and dropped the phone on the ground, not caring if it was ruined.

**To: Yachi at 1912:** _I managed to defeat the Ikiryō, but I didn't see Madoka anywhere. As soon as you can, please come find us. We're in the graveyard and Hinata is in bad shape. I'll try to heal him, but I'm not sure talismans will be enough._

With the news on its way, Kageyama focused on Hinata again, removing a healing talisman from his pocket and placing it on his chest. The paper briefly flickered before dying out and falling off of him uselessly: he didn't even have enough of a soul left for the spell to attach to.

Kageyama cursed and pulled the smaller boy into his lap, pressing their forehead together, ignoring the shock of cold. "Dammit, dumbass... Come back, or I'll come get you myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I feel bad for killing Oikawa... but now he's not suffering anymore! And I totally cried writing him saying goodbye to Iwa-chan ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡ 
> 
> Now you'll all have to wait and see if Kags can rescue Hina from the underworld, yay~ Until next time my kiddies~ (3 chapters left! Woot woot ;-;)


	23. Come Back

After several more minutes of Hinata not responding, Kageyama gritted his teeth and pulled a talisman from his pocket, clenching it tightly in his hand as he glanced at Hinata once more. There was no way he was letting him go that easily. As long as he had the strength, he would do everything in his power to keep Hinata from fading away; even if that meant diving into the underworld after him.

Saying a quick prayer to any god listening that Yachi would arrive soon, Kageyama stuck the talisman in the center of his own chest. Immediately, he felt his soul detach and plunge below the earth, feeling like he was being submerged in freezing cold water.

He gasped, struggling to keep breathing as he sped through the dirt and popped out in the midst of an ink black sky, plummeting towards the barren wasteland far below while wind slammed against him from every direction.

Just before he splattered against the ground like a dropped egg, a crack opened up in the dirt and he fell into it, slamming into a soft surface face-first.

Groaning, Kageyama pushed himself up slowly, blinking around at the room he'd landed in with confusion. It was a living room he didn't recognize, with a couch—the surface that had broken his fall—a coffee table, and a TV. As he pushed himself to a sitting position, the sound of laughter and pounding footsteps could be heard from down the hall. When Kageyama turned his head to investigate, he felt his heart seize.

Hinata came bursting into the room, followed by what appeared to be a much smaller, girlish version of him: most likely his younger sister. Neither of them seemed to notice him, prancing right past Kageyama and throwing themselves against the window with wide smiles. The little Hinata let out an awed gasp and tugged on her brother's sweatshirt sleeve with bright eyes. "Nii-chan, look: it snowed!"

Kageyama hesitantly stood and walked towards them, ignoring Hinata's response, and stared through the frosted window: there was indeed snow. But how could that be? It had been nowhere  _near_  winter—although he supposed rationality didn't really apply to this situation, considering he was in Hinata's house watching him laugh with his little sister, when in reality, his body was slumped over in the rain somewhere far above.

_That's right... I'm in Yomi._  Kageyama stared around with a frown.  _But this doesn't look very after-worldly... I must be in Hinata's memories, somehow._

As he came to the realization, Hinata turned and dragged his sister by the hand to the front door, where he sat down and pulled on a pair of winter boots. "Come on, let's go build a snowman, Natsu-chan!"

While the siblings pulled on boots, hats, gloves, and coats, a woman appeared in the doorway of the kitchen drying a glass. "Natsu, Shōyō, don't stay out too long, alright? I'll have lunch ready soon."

Kageyama followed the two redheads out into the snow, feeling the cold in his lungs and the snow underneath his sneakers like it was really there. He watched as Hinata and Natsu rolled piles of snow into the base for a snowman, wondering faintly if they could see or hear him if he tried to speak.

How else was he supposed to get Hinata out of there? Did he just have to talk to him; convince him what he was seeing wasn't real? But that almost seemed cruel, to tear him away from such a peaceful memory and back into the cold, rainy reality that waited for them both.

He had begun to reach out, but his hand wavered and Kageyama drew it back, biting his lip in indecision. Could he really do that to him?

Hinata righted Natsu's crooked hat with a bright smile and wrapped his own scarf around her neck. He looked so happy; happier than Kageyama had ever seen him. It almost physically  _hurt_  to think of tearing that happiness away from him. But... he just couldn't let him disappear. Maybe it was selfish, but Kageyama didn't think he could be happy without him.

The sooner he woke Hinata up, the less it would hurt for him to give up the memories.

Steeling himself, Kageyama took slow steps through the snow, telling himself with every exhale that he was doing the right thing. He reached for Hinata's shoulder with determination, but the boy slipped out of his grasp, startling suddenly as Natsu's scarf was tugged away by the wind and skittered past them, out into the street. Hinata rolled his eyes and stood, brushing snow off his mittens as he jogged out towards the road to retrieve it.

As he stooped to pick it up, Natsu dropped a pile of snow and squealed, drawing his attention for a split second. His mouth formed into a smile and at that same moment, a car sped past and plowed straight into his back.

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama's scream echoed Natsu's as he scrambled forward, nearly tripping over the curb, and fell to his knees in the street, eyes taking in the splatters of blood with horror and incomprehension.

As he touched Hinata's shoulder, the scene suddenly changed from his broken body lying in the road to a dimly-lit hospital room, Kageyama standing now as he watched Hinata's mother weep in a chair beside her son's bed, holding his pale, unflinching hand.

This wasn't just any memory: it was the day he  _died_.

Even as he watched disbelievingly, one hand covering his mouth and tears streaming down his cheeks, Kageyama saw Hinata's heartbeat flat-line. He lunged for the hospital bed, but the location changed again, Hinata hugging his knees to his chest as he sat atop a high hill, staring down at a collection of black-clothed figures gathered around a gravestone. Kageyama, from where he was standing behind him, could hear his quiet sobs as he watched his own funeral far below.

As he continued to cry quietly, Kageyama approached Hinata's trembling form hesitantly, letting out a shaky breath as he sat down beside him. Hinata didn't move an inch, eyes red and puffy as he wiped at them with his sweatshirt sleeves, curling them into fists in the snow. Kageyama followed his gaze to see his little sister sobbing in her mother's arms, the scarf he'd gone to retrieve clutched tightly in her tiny fist.

"Shōyō..." his voice came out in barely a whisper as Kageyama reached for the smaller boy's hand and covered it with his own, feeling a lump forming in his throat.

Hinata's body jerked, eyes struggling to focus on Kageyama as more tears dripped down his cheeks. "T-Tobio?"

"It's me." He took Hinata's shaking hand and pressed it against his chest, directly over his heartbeat. "Feel that? I'm really here."

His face crumpled and Hinata fell forward, sagging against Kageyama's chest as he collapsed into a deeper fit of sobbing. His hands clasped fistfuls of his shirt as tears wet his chest and the smaller boy's body shook violently. Kageyama wrapped his arms around him and buried his nose in his hair, holding him as closely and tightly as possible. "It's okay... I'm here, I'm right here. It will be alright."

Gently pushing him back, Kageyama brushed his hand across Hinata's cheek, wiping away his tears. "This isn't real, Shōyō. These are just memories. You're being pulled into Yomi and I came to bring you back."

Hinata leaned into his touch as more tears fell, wetting his palm. "But I— I don't know how to get back. I'm lost. I can't tell if my soul is here or there..." He closed his eyes and gripped Kageyama's hand tightly. "I'm not grounded there anymore... I don't think I can go back on my own." His face twisted up as he began to cry harder. "I'm scared. I'm so scared, Tobio."

Kageyama felt tears prick at his own eyes as he pressed their foreheads together and squeezed his hand tighter. "I'll take you back. Stay with me and we can go back together. I'll ground you." He met Hinata's teary-eyed gaze and tried for a reassuring smile. "Just close your eyes and we'll be back before you know it. You trust me, don't you?"

"I— I do." Hinata sniffled and let out an uneven breath, closing his eyes as instructed and intertwining their fingers.

_I trust you, too._

Kageyama closed his eyes and focused on Hinata's cool skin beneath his fingertips, feeling the chill of the snow begin to fade away. His heartbeat echoed in his ears like an anxious drumbeat, and he could feel a strange sensation beginning to build up in his chest, like a bird slamming against the bars of a cage. There wasn't much time left before he would be forced to return.

Swallowing down every last bit of uncertainty and fear, Kageyama steeled himself and breached the gap between them, stealing Hinata's lips in an explosion of warmth and light that swallowed them both whole.

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama woke back in his body with a sharp jolt, feeling Hinata's cool lips underneath his for a split second before he pulled away, gasping for air. He pressed both hands into the mud to keep himself up as he struggled to regain his bearings, having his soul suddenly ripped away and returned taking a toll on his physical and mental energy.

He didn't give a damn about his own condition, however, when Hinata coughed and his eyes fluttered open unsteadily.

"Shōyō, you're back!" Kageyama took his hand and let out a disbelieving, ecstatic laugh. "It worked, it really worked!"

"Tobio, you..." Hinata paused to cough again. "...you kissed me."

"Ah..." Kageyama's face burst into a violent blush and he coughed into his hand. "Um, yes, I— I did... It was all I could think to do..." He winced at his awkward speech. "Sorry... Are you mad?"

The ginger's face morphed into a small smile. "No... I'm happy, I think." He closed his eyes and grimaced suddenly, hand squeezing Kageyama's uncomfortably. "Ugh... I don't feel very good."

Kageyama looked him over with concern. "What's wrong? Are you injured anywhere?"

"My... soul." Hinata let out a tiny cry of pain as a light pulsated weakly from the space over his heart. " _Ach_ , it hurts. There's something wrong with it..."

"There— There can't be." Kageyama released his hand and pulled out a recovery talisman from his jacket. "You're just weak still, that's all. This will heal you up in no time. Just hang on." He stuck the paper to Hinata's chest, but it disappeared in a flash of light and Hinata's face contorted with pain as he let out another sharp exclamation.

"I— I don't understand," Kageyama stammered, grasping Hinata's cold hand in desperation. "This can't be happening. I brought you back! You— you should be  _fine_!" He felt the familiar feeling of overwhelming panic welling up in his chest and struggled to beat it back, taking quick, shallow breaths. "What can I do? How can I help?"

"You... can't." Hinata struggled to speak, face distorted from the pain. "Most of my soul is still... stuck in Yomi. It's... trying to drag me back down..."

"Well, w-what am I supposed to  _do_?" Kageyama questioned weakly, clutching Hinata's hand in a vice, as if the contact alone would keep him there. "There must be a talisman or some other charm we can use to bring the rest of it back..." His voice began to shake as he kept talking. "Y-Yachi should be on her way, and surely she knows something we can do to— to fix this. We'll find some—"

" _Tobio_ ," Hinata interrupted, hand tightening against his. "It's okay." His mouth formed a crooked, wobbly smile as fresh tears dripped down his cheeks, mingling with the rain.

His lips trembled as he spoke, as if he could barely bring himself to say the words. "It's too late, and we both know it." A small chuckle escaped his lips, dissolving into a cough. "At least you got to know my story... Just like I promised, huh?"

"I don't care about that," Kageyama stressed, cradling the redhead's small hand in both of his protectively. "I want  _you_ , not your story. If it takes you away from me, I don't want to know it!" He broke down crying, hunching over to let his head fall against Hinata's chest. "I won't give up... There must be a way to save you: I  _know_  there must be."

"Don't give me false hope," Hinata said jokingly, though there was a catch in his voice. He buried his fingers in Kageyama's hair and let out a sad chortle. "It's funny that I lived a better life  _after_  I died, don't you think?" His voice hitched and his hand loosened in Kageyama's. "You made me  _really_  happy, Tobio. I wish I could stay here with you and Yachi and everyone; I really want to."

As Kageyama pulled back, Hinata's pale lips turned up into a tiny, desolate smile. "I don't think I've ever wanted anything more than to be with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR THE TEARS CHILDREN ;-; Next chapter will be angst, angst, ANGST. Until then, remember to leave kudos if you like the story, and curse me for ripping your hearts out in the comment section huhu~


	24. I'll See You Again

"Then  _don't go_." Kageyama stared into Hinata's eyes and begged with his own. "Don't give up yet,  _please_."

Hinata's chest shuddered as he let out a quiet breath, eyelids fluttering weakly, as if they could barely stay open. "I gave myself up to save you before, remember? I... I knew there was a chance that I wouldn't come back, but I still did it anyway." He let out a tearful laugh. "Don't you  _get_   _it_? As long as you're still here, I'm fine with going... The only reason I was fighting was to get to see you again."

"You're really okay with dying?" Kageyama asked him searchingly. "Okay with just... leaving everything behind?"

"I left everything behind a long time ago," he responded, staring up at the sky somberly. "Before I met you, I had nothing left to stay for, but I couldn't figure out how to get away." He exhaled shakily. "I guess this is how it's supposed to be... I should count myself lucky I got to spend as much time with you and Yacchan as I did."

" _Stop_..." Kageyama brought their joined hand to rest against his heart with a weak, shuddering breath. He could barely keep his voice from breaking. "Don't say any more,  _please_..."

"Then..." Hinata's hand tightened briefly around Kageyama's—as if he would ever let him go. "Please, just do me one last favor before I go."

Kageyama felt something tighten in his chest at the words, like a hand crushing his heart from the inside. It was getting hard to breathe, and a fresh set of tears stung the edges of his eyes, the words hitting him like bullets directly to the chest.

"Idiot," he murmured, keeping his voice low so Hinata didn't hear it crack with anguish. "Don't... don't talk like that."

The redhead's lips curved up into a small, familiar smile. "It's okay. Could you..." Hinata's lips paused to allow a deep, shuddering breath in through the mouth, eyelids fluttering like he was fighting off sleep. "Could you... please... call me by my name? Just— Just one more time?"

Kageyama shook his head, unwilling to accept his loss yet. "What are you saying?" He wiped his eyes desperately with his free hand, the other cementing its grip around Hinata's. "You're such a— such a damn  _dumbass_..."

Hinata let out a weak, annoyed huff. "You're... always so difficult. Please, this once, can you just—"

He cut himself off, eyelids fluttering closed as he let out a tired exhalation. "I  _can't_  fight anymore, Tobio. I've been here for a long time:  _too_  long. I can't stay anymore." He opened his eyes again and weakly squeezed Kageyama's hand, his temperature dropping by the second. "It's okay, really. I'm...  _ready_."

"Dammit..." Kageyama shook his head, unsure how or just  _unable_  to deal with the myriad of emotions flowing through him. "I... I don't want to— I  _can't_  say goodbye. I want you to stay with me; with Yachi and Madoka, and even stupid Tsukishima."

He clutched Hinata's hand to his chest despairingly, cursing the world with every swear he could think of. "I— I love you, dammit. _I love you_."

For a second, they were both still, but then Hinata's eyes widened before his mouth twisted into a slight smile. "Is  _that_  what... what you wanted to tell me so long ago, but kept pushing off?" He closed his eyes and Kageyama saw new tears drip down his cheeks. They mingled with the old, his own, and the rain as the boy laughed. "I love you, too, you dummy."

"Then _stay with me_ ," Kageyama begged, caressing his icy cheek pleadingly. "This doesn't have to be the end. Once— once Yachi and Madoka get here, they can help you: do  _something_  to— You just have to... to keep fighting! As long as you don't give up, then—"

" _Tobio_." Hinata rested a hand over his, opening his eyes again as more and more tears traced lines between Kageyama's trembling fingers. "You need to let me go. I can already feel my energy draining. It'll... all be gone soon. I just... want this last thing from you."

His mouth twisted, as if he wanted to burst out screaming. "I know you're stubborn, but please... just call me by my name. Do this; for  _both_  of us."

Kageyama gritted his teeth and squeezed Hinata's hand as tight as he possibly could, as if that alone would somehow tether him to life; to  _staying_.

Was this—the two of them crying, holding each other in the rain— _really_  what it came down to? The universe had been nothing but unkind to Hinata, and now it had to erase him entirely? Was he really supposed to just take it lying down? It wasn't fair.  _None_  of it was fair.

The one thing Kageyama wanted to protect—the  _one_  person life had become worth living for—was being taken away from him. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't  _want_  to go back to how things were: forget what he'd said earlier. Knowing Hinata Shōyō was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he didn't want to give him up.

Kageyama would've trade a thousand days—a thousand months, a thousand  _years_ —to get to stay with him.

But deep down, he knew that he was being selfish. Hinata had been stuck in limbo for years. He deserved to move on; to be free. It wasn't  _his_ life: Kageyama had no place to force him to stay.

Besides, just as Hinata had said, he knew that it was already too late. He could feel the boy's spiritual life-force slowly seeping away minute by minute: Before too long, he would be gone, and Kageyama needed to make their last minutes together count.

"Alright..." He forced away tears, clutching both of Hinata's hands and pressing them to his chest. "Alright...  _Shōyō_."

Tears slipped from Kageyama's eyes as the name left his lips, despite his best efforts to keep them at bay, and Hinata's fingers departed from his to brush them away. He leaned into the touch, feeling an ache in his soul with the realization that he would never feel this touch again.

"Please,  _please_  don't cry," Hinata whispered to him hoarsely, voice breaking. "Even— Even if I'm gone, I'll still be in your heart, and I  _promise_  I won't forget you, either." He sniffled and tried for a failure of a reassuring smile. "I... don't think I ever could, even if I tried."

"Yeah..." Kageyama let out a ragged breath. "Me neither...  _Never_."

"Then don't be sad." Hinata reached up for his face and pulled him down. Their eyes were so close, Kageyama could see the world in Hinata's broken gaze. What a beautiful world it was.

His voice was barely a whisper above the murmur of the rain as his breath ghosted against Kageyama's lips. "I'll find you someday, Kageyama Tobio: even if it takes me  _a_   _thousand_  lifetimes to do it." Their lips brushed and Kageyama felt a spark light in his chest, even as Hinata's presence faded away in his arms.

As the last vestiges of his touch disappeared, one last whisper floated past on the wind. _I promise you._

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama wasn't quite sure how long he sat crying alone in the rain, but by the time Yachi finally found him, his whole body was numb and empty. The tears poured from his face like the rain from the sky, filling his mouth with the bittersweet taste of salt.

It took him several seconds to notice her touch against his shoulder when she arrived, and Kageyama weakly turned his head to stare up at her with overflowing eyes. As her troubled gaze bore into him, asking the unspoken question, he broke down fully, collapsing into her arms when she knelt beside him.

For a long time, the two of them just sat there, clinging to one another despairingly while Kageyama released every last sob he had in him. Even then, water continued to pour down his face as he pulled away from Yachi's embrace, though whether it was tears or just the rain, he couldn't tell anymore.

When he opened his mouth to speak, Kageyama's voice came out in a wobbly rasp. "I was too late, Yachi... He's  _gone_."

She shook her head and hugged him again, arms shuddering. "It's not your fault: you did everything you could. I... I should've gotten here  _quicker_. Then, maybe..." She stopped herself and let out a fragile exhale. "No... neither of us should blame ourselves. There are a million things that could've happened differently, but there's nothing we can do about it now."

Yachi pulled back and squeezed his shoulder firmly, although it failed to offer any reassurance. "Life will go on, Kageyama. Hinata wasn't one to give up without a fight. The universe decided it was just... his time to go."

"How can you  _say_  that?!" Kageyama snapped, slapping her hand away angrily. " _Damn_  the universe! None of this would've happened if I'd have just—" His words caught on a sob and he covered his face with his hands, legs splaying out in the mud as his body slumped over in defeat. "It isn't  _fair_ , Yachi! It's so  _unfair_... He deserved  _so much more_  from life, and I just— I wasn't strong enough to save him."

"I told you, this  _isn't_  your fault," Yachi reprimanded, pulling his hands away from his eyes and nailing him with a stern gaze. "Hinata wouldn't want you to blame yourself. He... was always telling you to smile more, wasn't he?" Her face softened into a forlorn, trembling smile. "That means he wouldn't want you to be sad.

"And besides..." She glanced out at the horizon, where a sliver of the setting sun began to peek through the gray haze of the rain. "I have the strangest feeling that we'll see him again someday..."

Kageyama followed her gaze and wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeves, recalling Hinata's last words.  _I'll find you someday, Kageyama Tobio: even if it takes me a thousand lifetimes to do it. I promise you._ There hadn't been any hesitation in his voice: he really did trust Kageyama unconditionally.

"Yeah..." His lips turned upwards in the faintest beginnings of a smile. "I think... you may be right."

Yachi took his hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "Then, let's go home now. The IBPA and my mom are waiting there for us."

With a scarce nod, Kageyama allowed her to pull him to his feet and towards the cemetery exit, sparing a single glance back at Hinata's gravestone, which sat lonely and silent in the rain.

As the two of them exited the iron gates and walked towards Madoka's shop, hands still linked, the dark rain clouds parted to allow a single ray of sunlight to slip through and light their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER AND I FEEL LIKE A TERRIBLE PERSON HAHAHA ;-; It was a little short, but I liked the ending paragraph. AND before you guys hunt me down and burn me at the stake, there will be an epilogue!
> 
> Now I'll take a minute to be sappy, because this is the first long-time fic I've ever finished and I might actually cry... I'd like to thank everyone for all your support and the few people who comment, you guys all motivated me to finish this, and I really couldn't have done it without you all.
> 
> Ahem... Anyway, stay tuned for the epilogue, which will hopefully spare me from a painful death aha... Until next time kiddies~


	25. Epilogue

_**Breathing... I can hear it. But why does it sound so far away?** _

_Hinata felt like he was floating on his back in deep water, but everything around him was pitch black, like his eyes were covered by thick fabric. He was slowly sinking, as if he were stuck in a batch of tar or molasses, but he could feel nothing aside from that._

_**It's dark here... Where am I?** _

_His brain was fuzzy, like it was covered in a thick shroud of cotton. Thoughts were the only clear things in the indistinct, bleak darkness._

_**Wasn't I doing something before? Something important…** _

_Snippets of sounds echoed out of the endless space around him, and Hinata could feel a distant tug, as if someone were pulling on his arm, but it was faint and weak. Something wet splashed against his face over and over again, and he could hear a familiar voice. He wasn't able to make out any of the words or recall the speaker's name, but he felt like he should know it well._

_**Who's crying? My chest hurts, like it's being crushed.** _

_For some reason, Hinata's heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his rib-cage. Everything hurt: not physically, but emotionally, almost like a panic attack. But why would he be panicking? Because he was... dying?_

_**Am I really dying? But I don't want to go yet…** _

_A thought lingered at the back of his mind; something very important, although he couldn't seem to grasp it. Hinata knew he couldn't—didn't want to—die, but... wasn't he dead already? What was so important? What filled him with this crushing feeling of loss? What made him so desperately want to stay?_

_**I don't want to leave him. I need to stay for... for...** _

* * *

" _Tobio_!" Hinata woke suddenly with the name burning on his tongue, gasping for air with his shirt stuck to his sweaty chest like a second skin.

For the longest moment, he sat there, swimming in anguish and overwhelmed by harsh emotions; hand still reaching out for the shadow of a memory that was starting to slip away.  _Kageyama... How could I ever forget him?_

As his eyes marginally adjusted to the harsh sunlight streaming through the window and his wits slowly returned, Hinata buried his head in his hands and took several slow, shaky breaths in an attempt to quiet his racing heart. Those last few moments had been plaguing his dreams recently: The vestiges of his old life, when he'd died for the second and last time.

He could still remember every detail about it: The days spent with Yachi and Kageyama in Madoka's shop, the constant scolding of the annoyed psychic, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Suga, the sunsets, the wake-up calls, the exact shade of Kageyama's eyes: the end, the beginning— _everything_.

And sometimes, he wished he could forget it all.

Every time he remembered Kageyama's heart-wrenching expression when he'd opened his eyes for the last time and kissed him goodbye—said his name like it broke him—a small piece of his heart felt like it was being torn out; ripped from his chest with so much force, his body shattered like glass.

_Tobio._  His chest hurt unbearably even thinking his name—remembering the sound of his laugh, which was oddly beautiful—or the rare few times he had ever  _really_  smiled. It had been clumsy and a little awkward, but happiness had made his eyes shine like starlight.

Hinata would give  _anything_  to see him wearing that cheerful, carefree expression again: to  _see_  him at all.

The memories were painful, but to forget them would be to forget  _him_ , which was the one promise Hinata would never,  _ever_  break. But because of that, he was constantly plagued with the waves of emotion that came with remembering him—and the questions he hated to ask himself every time he was alone and his mind wandered back to Kageyama.

_Are you even there?_

Hinata closed his eyes as he felt familiar tears sting them and turned to face the wall, hugging his pillow to his chest and hoping he could fall back asleep—though he'd gone through this enough times to know that was impossible.

_I miss you so, so much..._

He squeezed the pillow tighter as the tears soaked into the fabric of his comforter, flowing down his face like a tap that wouldn't turn off.

_Are you here in this world with me again? How long will I have to stay without you?_

"Tobio"—he dared to say his name aloud, just once, even though it was a torture for him—"where  _are_  you?"

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama found himself born into the same life as before.

Everything was identical: His parents, his house, where he grew up, what schools he attended—even volleyball was the same. But... this world wasn't really  _his_.

He had retained his memories from before—of Yachi, Madoka, and Hinata: of everything. Kageyama had even tried to use his psychic powers, but they wouldn't work. It seemed, in all aspects, that this world was the normal one he had  _expected_  to grow up in before that fateful August night, which seemed so far away after being reborn.

In  _this_  world, he was ordinary: In this world, Hinata was nowhere to be found.

Kageyama had, in desperation, even gone to visit his gravestone once, but when he reached the cemetery, it was no longer there—which was no surprise, really. It only cemented Kageyama's theory that this was the same life he'd lived before, only without psychics and, most importantly, without  _Hinata_.

But that was unacceptable.

_I'll find you someday, Kageyama Tobio: even if it takes me a thousand lifetimes to do it. I promise you._ That's what he had said before.

Kageyama wanted, more than  _anything_ , to believe him; to believe that they could truly reunite and live—really  _live_ —together this time... but what was he supposed to do? Everything was different now. Yachi, Madoka, Suga, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi—no one was around anymore, and no one could help him find his lost love again.

Whenever he closed his eyes, Kageyama could still remember their kiss; their final goodbye. That was the one memory he couldn't stand to relive, not because he hated it, but because he loved it too much. Kageyama feared he would never be able to live through it ever again—to feel the sensation of Hinata's skin underneath his fingers, or his cool breath against his neck.

Most people only had to lose their love once: He'd lost his more than anyone.

Falling in love with a ghost was like living in a state of constant yearning, and when Hinata disappeared, it had deepened the wound even further. And after that, he had to be reborn and live with the knowledge that his love may not even  _exist_  in this world? It was a cruel punishment.

What kind of a life  _was_  that, to live in constant pain? Kageyama wanted to be mad, but all he could do was cry silently in his room night after night as the memories stabbed at him with their sharp claws, tearing his heart into a shredded mess of broken memories and whispered pleas.

_Please come back to me, Shōyō... You promised._

***  *  *  *  ***

When the weekend arrived, Hinata boarded a train to Iwate Prefecture. His parents were going on a couples retreat, so he and Natsu were visiting his aunt and uncle in Kamaishi and would be staying with them for a week. Although Hinata didn't really like traveling all that much, he was relieved to be getting a change of scenery. Maybe having some fun would keep his mind off Kageyama for a while—if that was even possible.

"Nii-chan, we're gonna go to the beach, right?" Natsu asked excitedly from beside him, staring out the train window and bouncing up and down in her seat. "Remember when we went to Sanriku Coast?"

Hinata rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help let a little smile slip at her antics. "That was in  _August_ , Natsu-chan: it's way too cold out right now for swimming. We can go shopping or visit Rokando instead."

Natsu pouted, but brightened up quickly in no time, pointing out the window excitedly. "Look, we're here, we're here!" She pressed her face up against the glass as they entered the station and squealed. "Look, there's Obasan and Ojisan!"

Hinata pulled her back by the collar with a stern huff. "You'll bump your head like that. Come on, let's go greet them." He took her by the hand to keep her from running ahead as they exited the train among the huge throngs of people, meeting their aunt and uncle by the station map.

The four of them exchanged basic greetings before heading outside, where a car was already waiting.

As they headed away from the train station and into town, Hinata stared out the window at the ocean and smiled. It was prettier than he remembered. Birds were flying overhead and the sun had begun to set in the west, painting the sea a vibrant mix of orange and red as ships floated into Kamaishi Bay.

Hinata rested his head against the window and closed his eyes. It felt so peaceful there, for some reason; as if the air itself were soothing him.

It was almost too easy to drift off into a sleep that was, for once, dreamless.

***  *  *  *  ***

"Hey, Tobio-chan, do you want to go to the beach this weekend?"

Kageyama glanced up from his glass of milk and raised an eyebrow at the sudden question. "The beach? Why?"

His mother put down her own drink and smiled excitedly. "Well, we only just moved here, and I've been  _dying_  to go! We could get some great pictures!"

Kageyama sighed. "I  _guess_  I'll go... When?"

"How about... tomorrow? We can go right after breakfast."

"Sure, that's fine."

It wasn't like Kageyama was  _dying_  to go to the beach in forty degree weather, but his mom had always been the sightseeing type, and since the whole reason they'd moved to Kamaishi in the first place was for a change of scenery, he supposed it couldn't be helped. Besides, he could go running while she sight-saw herself out.

"Excellent! This will be so much fun!" She ran off, no doubt to talk to Kageyama's dad about the trip, leaving him alone at the table to finish his milk in silence.

The setting sun was shining in through the kitchen window, nearly blinding him with its brightness. Sunsets never failed to remind him of Hinata, but everything did, really: That was a side-effect of being in love.

Shaking off the nostalgia, Kageyama downed the last of his milk in one gulp and sighed, resting his forehead on the cool tabletop and closing his eyes, imagining the feeling of Hinata's forehead against his. He'd been feeling unusually fatigued all day, and being tired only made the feeling of loneliness worse.

_I miss you, dumbass. You'd better keep your promise and come find me quickly..._

***  *  *  *  ***

Hinata woke in the morning to Natsu bouncing up and down on his chest, bruising several of his ribs in her not-so-gentle attempts to rouse him. " _Owww_ , what the heck?! Natsu-chan, get off me!"

She ignored him in typical little-sister style and tugged on his blanket persistently. "Come on, get  _up_ , we're going to the beach!"

" _Now_?" he groaned. "I just woke up! Can't it wait?"

"No way!" She bounced on him three more times for good measure before flopping onto the floor and running off down the hallway like a little orange whirlwind. "You better be ready or we'll leave without you!"

Hinata drug himself out of bed irritably after her crazed departure and got dressed, cursing Natsu the whole time. Whose bright idea was it to go the beach at eight in the morning, anyway? He could've slept in for at least another hour, but now here he was, pulling on sweatpants and then being dragged down the hall and out of the house by a bouncy, giggly Natsu.

The whole car ride, Hinata kept muttering to himself, staring out the window and trying to wake himself up. It was overcast outside, and the sun was covered by a sheet of thick gray clouds. Not exactly the best weather, but at least they weren't swimming.

By the time they finally arrived at the beach, Hinata felt a little bit better and allowed Natsu to pull him down the path with little complaint.

They kicked off their shoes and ran around in the sand, laughing and kicking up water at each other. There didn't seem to be many others out. There were a few people here and there, but the place was still relatively peaceful and quiet. It felt calming, somehow.

After a while of roughhousing and goofing off, Hinata paused to take a breath and decided to go for a walk. "Natsu-chan, I'm going off by myself for a while, okay? Look for shells."

As she nodded and ran off enthusiastically, Hinata pulled up his sweatshirt hood and started off down the beach slowly, kicking his feet through the sand. Glancing up at the sky, he faintly thought it looked like it might rain. The clouds were turning a darker gray, and the air was becoming damp and clammy.

What a shame... He hated the rain.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

Oblivious, Hinata glanced downward again at the sudden exclamation—right in time to smack face-first into a stranger's chest, knocking them both straight over into the freezing cold water in a tangle of limbs.

***  *  *  *  ***

Kageyama's first reaction was anger at this spacey idiot running into him, then shock as the icy cold water soaked him from head to toe. He dragged himself onto the sand as quickly as possible with a gasp, struggling to see through the wet mop of black hair now covering his eyes.

" _Gah_ , you stupid—! Who the hell walks without looking where—" He paused in his spluttering reprimand to cough, spitting salty water out of his mouth with disgust.

_This_  is what he got for going to the beach in April—although apparently his family hadn't been the  _only_  ones crazy enough to do so. The mystery idiot was still choking on water nearby, soaking wet hood sagging over his head, completely covering his face. He started shivering and Kageyama heard his teeth chattering loudly as he began wringing out his clothes.

Kageyama clicked his tongue in annoyance and pulled off his sweatshirt, setting it out on the sand as he pulled off his shoes and poured water out of them. "Geez..." They would need some serious maintenance when he got home.

As he pulled off his socks, the stranger got up and stammered out an apology through still-chattering teeth and coughs. "I-I-I'm so-sorry, I d-d-didn't see y-you." He stumbled closer, face still obstructed by the soggy sweatshirt, and held out a tiny hand feebly. "Here, l-let me h-help y-you u— _uppp_!"

He tripped over one of Kageyama's shoes and landed hard on his chest, taking them both down again and knocking the breath out of him.

"Okay,  _seriously_ , you need to stop falling on—"

His breath was abruptly sucked away again as Kageyama's eyes met a pair of startled, familiar chocolate irises. The hood had been dislodged in the fall, and now orange locks spilled out over a pale forehead like cresting ocean waves, which was fitting: Kageyama felt distinctly like he was drowning.

It was like he was choking on water all over again as he struggled to speak. " _Sh_ —  _Shōyō_?!"

" _Tobio_?" Shocked brown eyes stared down at him and it was  _his_  eyes— _his_  voice. "Is it... is it r-really  _you_?"

Kageyama let out a loud, bright, stupid laugh and gripped him by the shoulders, pushing them both to a sitting position. "Is it really me? Is it really  _you_?!" He felt tears threatening to fall and quickly buried his face in the crook of Hinata's neck to hide them. Beneath the smell of the ocean, there was the faintest whiff of vanilla: it was  _his_  scent, unmistakably. "It is you, right?"

"It's— it's me." Hinata let out something between a sob and a laugh, throwing his arms around him and squeezing like his life depended on it.

Kageyama held him and nuzzled into his shirt. "Of course... this kind of reunion could only happen with a dumbass like you." He hugged him tighter and listened carefully to his heartbeat; flighty and fast, but  _real_. And even though a hug can't last forever, Kageyama felt every lost hour, day, month, and year conveyed in Hinata's arms as they squeezed him; in his tears as he laughed and cried. He couldn't think; couldn't breathe.

After so long of waiting, of searching, all of his memories collided in the living,  _breathing_  reality of Hinata Shōyō. It was the most spectacular thing he'd ever experienced, like finally fitting in the last piece of an endless puzzle. The world was crashing down all around them like broken shards of glass, letting golden light shine through like a beacon, overtaking the dull gray sunlight like a tidal wave.

He was living. He was dying. He was  _everything_  when he was with Hinata.

Kageyama couldn't stop saying his name, so many times it started to sound like something else entirely. "Shōyō, Shōyō, Shōyō,  _Shōyō_..." He whispered it repetitively into orange curls until his throat dried up, and then he said it again; making up for too much lost time and too many wasted words. "It's you, it's  _really_  you..."

Hinata pulled back to look at him, face a mix of joy, shock, and disbelief. "I've been searching for you for so long... I thought I'd never find you again." He ran shaking hands through Kageyama's hair and let out a hoarse exhalation, looking like he was about to break down again. "Are you... really real?"

Feeling like his heart was about to burst apart, Kageyama brushed his thumb across the redhead's cheek gently, pressing their foreheads together to feel Hinata's living warmth against his skin. "I promise you: I'm really real... and so is this."

He brushed his damp hair aside and kissed him, almost desperately, pulling him as close as possible to savor the feeling of their closeness and Hinata's heartbeat underneath his fingertips.

When you trip, there's a sensation you experience right before hitting the ground: A moment of complete weightlessness and inevitability, knowing that you're going to fall, but there's nothing you can do about it. That was exactly what this was like.

Kageyama closed his eyes and took Hinata's hand, embracing every sensation and basking in the aching familiarity of his touch. He was warm underneath his fingers; alive and real. At that moment, Kageyama could care less about the cold or the wet clothes: Hinata was all he needed. Living,  _breathing_  Hinata: the real memory of his touch, sitting right there.

***  *  *  *  ***

When the kiss inevitably ended, Kageyama felt disoriented, like he'd done a somersault underwater and come up facing the opposite direction. He stared down dumbly at Hinata's half-closed eyes and parted lips, utterly dazed, synapses firing at 1000% to process the shock of every sensation, psychical and emotional, the boy made him feel.

He still had trouble comprehending that Hinata was there—real,  _alive_  Hinata, who he could kiss and touch and hold as many times as he wanted now.

It was almost too much to bear, but Kageyama supposed he'd have to get used to it at some point, and right now seemed like a pretty good time to start.

"Shōyō." He grabbed him by the back of the neck and bent down to kiss him again before the momentum of emotion was lost. Sparks flew behind his eyelids again, and Kageyama embraced the burning sensation like it was a long-lost friend. He faintly wondered if this was what it felt like to be on fire.

_If it is, I'd burn with him forever._

As he pulled away Kageyama couldn't help but smile as he held Hinata to him and rejoiced in the gentle, merging rhythm of their heartbeats.

The redhead was laughing softly against his shoulder. "You kissed me. Twice."

"Yeah, and I'll do it again," he murmured, pulling back to meet his eyes.

Hinata flushed a pleasant shade of pink. "R-really?"

"As many times as you want: so many you won't be able to stand me." He pressed their foreheads together again with an idiotic, delighted grin. "I really love you, Shōyō. I love you. So,  _so_  much..."

Hinata squeezed his hand. "I love you, too." A final, conclusive tear slid down his cheek. " _More than I can bear_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE EPIC CONCLUSION. 
> 
> I switched perspectives back and forth for the epilogue: I think it spiced it up a little. Do you guys still want to kill me? Hopefully not.
> 
> Anyway, I think I might want to do a sort of continuation of this, as in a series of oneshots where these nerds get used to being together again. If I decide to do it, you'll obviously see the new story, but until then, thanks for sticking to the story! Let me know your thoughts, and I'll hopefully see you all soon ^-^


	26. Special Event!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new special event announcement~

The anniversary event is now officially posted! Go read it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18042497) ^-^

 


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